Through a Cybercat's Optics
by Lunar Mist
Summary: I just wanted to get home before curfew. Was that really too much to ask? Now, I'm stuck as a cybercat, and to make matters worse, I was adopted! By a mech, no less! Oh, and not just any mech. Optimus Prime. My life is so over. Just shoot me now. OP/OC
1. A Really Bad Day

Soooo... this is one of those random ones I've been working on. I actually have the plot all planned out, but I honestly have no clue how long this one will be. Just an FYI, this is a side-story, meaning I don't work on it very often, so the updates probably won't be every week. I have, like, two more of these side-stories, so... maybe I'll finally load them. This is just one that I want to go ahead an get up before I lose the nerve... So... without further ado... _Through a Cybercat's Optics..._

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

A Really Bad Day

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><p>Her head was pounding, and her spark was working double time in her chest as she sprinted through the alleyways of lower-town Iacon. The light of one of Cybertron's moons reflected off her sky blue armor as she ran. The three mechs laughed and hooted behind her as they chased after her. Her frightened blue optics took in the walls blocking her escape, trying to find a break in them. Why couldn't she have programmed as a flyer? Then she wouldn't be the one running. Heck, her mech creator was going to offline her when he found out that went this way, anyways. He warned her about these mechs, but she <em>had<em> to take the shortcut. Opiluk hated when she got home late.

Her intakes hitched when she saw an opening in one of the walls. Maybe it would lead to a busy street! She forced her feet to pump faster. She could do this. When the new alley broke off, she skidded a little as she changed direction to the right. She was breathing heavily as she hurried down the alley. Doors lined the wall, but she was positive all of them were locked, and if they weren't, she wasn't stopping to check. Not with the other three catching up with her. She gave a gasp and stopped short. A dead end. No. This couldn't be happening.

"Hey, femme! Lookie who decided to stop running, mechs," a male voice called out. She whirled around with a frightened gasp. The three were now fanned out in front of her, and they were beginning to close in. The one in the middle with black armor and deep red optics was the one who had spoken.

"Leave me alone," she ordered. "The war is over."

"This war will never be over as long as there are Decepticons that refuse to bow down to the Prime," the one on the left with red armor claimed.

"Optimus Prime is a great leader and the reason this war had ended," she shot back, angered that these mechs would dare insult her leader.

"I hate repeating myself, _Autobot_," the same mech on the left spat.

"And I hate mechs that insult my noble leader's name!" she hissed.

"Optimus Prime is not the correct leader. Megatron is," the silver-armored mech on the right snapped.

"Long live Optimus Prime!" the femme roared. A loud battle cry rose from the three mechs, and the femme didn't have time to even compute moving before she was sent flying into a wall by a blast from a plasma cannon. She bounced off the wall and was immediately aware of an overwhelming pain in her side. A second later, all three mechs were kicking her as she curled up in a fetal position in a feeble attempt to defend herself. One didn't have to think too much to see that they were trying to break her spark chamber with brutal force. Whimpers and grunts of pain escaped her, but she refused to cry out.

"What is going on here!" an enraged voice yelled. A second later, one of the mechs attacking her was thrown to the side. The next moments were a blur to her. She could see that a winged mech was taking down the three Decepticons with trained ease. The next second, she could feel an arm wrap around her shoulder struts and another curl under her knee joints. She hissed in pain, but otherwise remained silent as she onlined her optics. She grimaced when she found that one of them was shattered.

"My designation is Prowl," the mech holding said suddenly. She jumped, startled. "Don't worry. I am… well, was an Autobot back when the war was still being fought."

"You were Optimus Prime's second. It is an honor to meet you," she murmured, feeling rather tired. The mech, Prowl, chuckled at her.

"It's nice to know that there are still bots out there that remember us. Now, what is your designation?"

"I'm Moonstrike, sir," she replied with a weak smile.

"Well, Moonstrike, it appears that that 'con's cannon did a lot of damage to the circuitry in your side. I have a friend that is a very good medic, and I am going to take you to him. I think he can help you," Prowl said gently, moving out of the dead end alleyway at a quick pace. Moonstrike moaned quietly as he ran. It hurt so much. Even her spark hurt. "Stay with me, femme. We're almost there."

Ratchet wasn't having a good orn. His patience had been spent early in the orn when two ex-'cons came in with minor injuries and insulted his old faction as he repaired them. Sure, Ratchet had overcharged them and sent them off with rather large dents in their helms, but still. _His faction_ was the reason Cybertron had some semblance of peace. In time, as the Decepticons died off, that peace would grow. As it was, almost all of Cybertron had been rebuilt. It had only taken about nine vorns, too. Optimus Prime had formed a system that would spread the power over Cybertron between a few trustworthy mechs: himself, Ultra Magnus, Soundwave (who straightened out after Megatron was defeated. Again.), a peaceful Decepticon by the name of Thundercracker, and lastly, an aristocratic mech named Mirage. Though Prime had offered him a job as a politician, Ratchet had turned it down. He rather liked repairing his fellow Cybertronians. After all, he had done just that for millions of years. So, the former CMO set up a clinic in upper-town Iacon. It wasn't in the slums, but it wasn't in the overly rich area. The building itself was rather small. It had a front lobby with a single desk and a small waiting room. Off to the right of the lobby was an office that contained two desks: one for Ratchet and one for his apprentice, Jolt. One the opposite side of the lobby was the entrance to the bay. It had three berths, and the walls were completely lined with counters and cabinets.

We're getting off topic, though. We were speaking of why Ratchet's orn was bad… Ah. As if the two Decepticons were bad enough, Ironhide had shown up mid-orn because of his slaggin' hip joint problems. Luckily for him, Ratchet had finally come up with a permanent repair, but that didn't keep Ironhide from moaning and complaining about how long the repairs were taking. Finally, Ratchet got fed up with him and shut of his vocal processor. Ironhide's glare could have sent a weaker mech running. However, seeing as Ratchet had dealt with scarier mechs before the ex-Weapons Specialist, Ironhide's glare did absolutely nothing. Once the joor-long repair was finished, Ratchet put Ironhide on bed rest while his body created new programs to fit with the new repair.

That was when the bane of his existence came in.

"Heya, Hatchet!" Sideswipe chirped as he sauntered into the medbay, completely ignoring the receptionist as she hurried after him. "Oh, hey, Ironhide!"

"Sir, sir! Doctor Ratchet is with a patient! You can't go in there!" she cried.

"Nonsense! Me and ol' Hatchet go _way_ back, right, Hatch?" the red mech stated as he looked back at the burnt orange femme. Ratchet gave him a blank look.

"I lay no claims to ever meeting you."

"Aw! Ratch, you wound me!" Sideswipe dropped dramatically to the floor.

"Why are you here?" Ratchet asked, staring down at the irritating mech. "And where's your brother?"

"Sunny? He's at a gallery. I was headed there when I found something for you." Ratchet noticed for the first time that one of Sideswipe's hands was hidden behind his body.

"Every time you say that, I get this sinking feeling and begin to feel like I'm about to be ambushed by Decepticons…" Ratchet said bluntly.

"I'd never attack you, Ratch! Actually, I'm here to give you _this_!" With a flourish, Sideswipe pulled his hand from behind his back and held his "gift" out for Ratchet. The medic scowled.

"You brought me a _dead cybercat?_" Ratchet hissed.

"It's dead?" Sideswipe asked, poking it with his free hand. The golden cat didn't move. "Huh. It was hissing and yowling when I first picked it up…" Ratchet gave an exasperated growl as he snatched the poor dead creature from the ex-frontliner's servos. The creature looked much like Ravage had. Just looking at it, one could tell that it had been a graceful creature. Armor protected its hindquarters and shoulders. The rest was covered by thin, yet strong golden metal plates. Its once silver optics were gray with death, and its long golden tail was limp against Ratchet's servo. A quick scan showed that the cybercat's weak spark had given out sometime during the trip with Sideswipe. Ratchet found it rather strange that the cat even had a spark chamber. So few of them did, and those were the ones that were made for domestication.

"Anything else?" Ratchet asked, looking back up at Sideswipe.

"Is it so hard to believe that I would want to visit you?" the younger mech replied, holding his hands over his spark as he stood.

"…Yes."

"Huh. I guess I'll leave then! I know when I'm not appreciated! And to think I spent more time with you than any of the other Autobots. Well, except for Jolt."

"That was because you kept getting yourself slagged up!" Ratchet yelled.

'Yeah, but I still talked while you were repairing me…" Sideswipe pouted.

"And I regret every–" A loud ruckus in the lobby made Ratchet pause. He moved around to a free berth, setting the dead cybercat on a counter as he moved. The swinging door to the bay swung open, and the three mechs were shocked when Prowl rushed in the room with an unconscious femme in his arms. The mech paused for only a second as he looked around for the medic, then he moved to the free berth that Ratchet was hovering by.

"I found her in the back alleys. Three Decepticon mechs teamed up on her. One had a plasma cannon. Once she was down, they turned to kicking," Prowl explained shortly as he set her down on the berth.

**::Jolt, I need help!::** Ratchet snapped through his comm. to his apprentice. Ratchet started scanning the femme as he waited. Jolt had been in their conjoined office doing the Cybertronian version of paperwork, which was on the other side of the lobby, so would take a minute for him to arrive.

"Sideswipe, Prowl, kindly stay out of the way," Ratchet ordered. The second Jolt stepped inside, Ratchet was speaking in hurried tones and moving around the bay, collecting different medical tools. "Jolt, we have a victim of an ex-Decepticon attack. Her secondary line has been hit, and her armor had multiple tears. Slag it, her spark chamber's cracked."

"It's because her armor so slaggin' thin," Jolt muttered, as he worked on her secondary energon line.

"That's the style. Femmes shouldn't _have_ to wear bulky armor anymore. The war's over," Ratchet snapped. "We've got to move her spark before it gives out. Her chamber's beginning to cave in."

"Move it _where_?" Jolt shot back as he looked around. "I don't think she'd like us killing one of these three to give her a temporary body." Ratchet glanced around, his gaze lingering slightly on Sideswipe, before his optics landed on the dead creature on the counter.

"Sideswipe, bring me that cybercat," Ratchet ordered. "Then take Prowl, and go to the lobby. I can't have you two in here during a spark transfer."

"You're going to put her spark in a _cybercat_?" Jolt asked. Ratchet couldn't quite discern if the blue mech was incredulous or affronted. Still, he lifted the cat from Sideswipe's hands and scanned the animal for any injuries aside from the weak spark.

"The cybercat recently offlined, so its system should still function." Ratchet was exposing the dead cat's empty spark chamber as he explained. "This cat had a spark chamber, and since the basic protoform is similar to a Cybertronian's, it should support her spark. If we leave her spark in this form, she will offline. At least she has a chance if we transfer her spark. Now, are you going to help me?"

Jolt's response was to begin opening her chest cavity. Ratchet's careful servos reached into the cavity and gently began prying the spark chamber open. There was an audible click as the chamber unhitched. Jolt moved to Ratchet's side and lifted the cybercat in a way where the spark chamber was easily reached. Ratchet cautiously lifted the femme's spark from the chamber. The orb glowed blue as he moved it into the cat's chamber. The clicked the cat's spark chamber closed and vented softly.

"Now, we wait. Hand her here and keep working on her real body. Give her an artificial spark beat, so that her processor doesn't figure out she's dead." The second Ratchet's orders were out, Jolt was obeying.

"Uhhh… Ratchet, what's wrong with Ironhide?" Jolt asked. Ratchet glanced up from the cybercat in his hands to see his old-time friend staring slack-jawed at him. Ratchet moved over to him, and he used one hand to reactivate Ironhide's vocal processor as he cradled the cat in his other arm. She wasn't very large; just a little bigger than his hand.

"Did you…you just…she was…was that even _legal_?" Ironhide sputtered.

"Perfectly. It was either transfer the spark or let her die. Now, this body can hold her spark while the other is repaired. My trainer did it once with a retro rabbit," Ratchet said in a matter-a-fact tone. He gave Ironhide a disparaging look. "Do you think I would have done it with Prowl in the other room if it _wasn't _legal?" Ratchet moved to one of the counters, calling for Sideswipe and Prowl as he did. He used his free hand to bundle up some towels on the counter as the two walked back into the bay.

"That was fast," Prowl noted.

"A spark transfer has to be. It was a success, and now, we are simply waiting for her to wake up. Prowl, thank you for bringing her so quickly. Had you been a few breems later, she wouldn't have survived. Sideswipe…"

"I know, I know. 'Thanks for bringing the cybercat body', right? I know. You couldn't have done this without me."

"…Actually, I was going to inform you that strays are supposed to be taken to the shelter or in a case like this one, where they have a spark, to a pet shop for identification purposes. I'm sure Prowl can thoroughly explain the law and reasons behind it," Ratchet stated with a malicious smile. Sideswipe gave an involuntary yelp when Prowl's servo clamped down on his shoulder from behind.

"Let's take a walk, Sideswipe. It will be just like old times." Sideswipe groaned but followed the black and white mech. Ratchet simply smiled as he set the cybercat on the towels, trying to make the cat…femme comfortable. With a small smile at his success, Ratchet turned and strode over to where Jolt was working on the femme's body.

"Now, let's see if we can fix up this spark chamber."


	2. A Living Nightmare

Here ya go, folks! Fanfic still won't let me reply to reviews, so Imma put replies at the end of the story until the site starts cooperating.

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

A Living Nightmare

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><p>The first thought that came to my processor was 'Primus, <em>my<em> opiluk is going to _offline_ me.' Of course, as soon as that thought came, it was dismissed. Opi wouldn't waste the _energy_ that it would take to offline me. Though, he'd probably give me a nice long lecture about the finer points of obedience, and I'd "listen" very intently before being sent to my room, where I'd promptly get on my comm. with Streamshot. Stream had always been my best friend, and I knew she'd listen to me whilst I complained about my father yelling at me, though I secretly knew he was right. After all, my stupidity and disobedience got me into this mess.

Speaking of said mess, I didn't hurt anymore. In fact, I felt really good. I could feel that I was lying on a towel of some sort, and it was bunched around me like a nest of sorts. I was warm and comfortable, and the last thing I felt like doing was onlining my optics, but I had to. I had to thank the medic for repairing me, and I had to thank Prowl again for saving me from those Decepticons. I gave a small yawn and with a bit of reluctance, onlined my optics.

And froze.

_Why was everything so big?_ I was definitely one of the taller Transformers on Cybertron. There was no way Prowl brought me to a medbay meant for mechs of this size. They'd have to as big as our planet! I brushed it off as I slowly got to my feet, and I received another shock. I couldn't stand! What the slag! I looked down and nearly short-circuited.

I was… a cybercat. I was… a cybercat? I was a _cybercat! Why the slag was I a cybercat?_ I felt the beginnings of a panic attack. My intakes sped up, and my spark began to thrum faster. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Oh, dear Primus! No, no, _NO_! How did I get like this? What happened to me? Where was I?

"Jolt, she's online," a mech's voice called out. My gaze connected with that of an injured mech. He was lying on a berth with what looked like metal straps holding his leg still. He was black, he was huge, and _dear Primus_, were those _cannons_? I didn't notice that his optics were blue, and I didn't see the Autobot insignia. I didn't see these things because I was too busy staring at the new mech that was walking towards me. He was big, too. His armor was blue, and he was approaching me… from where my…body…was… Dear Primus! My body! _What had they done to me!_

"Wow, it actually worked." What worked? What does he mean? "It looks like your spark updated your processor to fit your personality. That's good. Now you won't act like a cybercat." What? My processor? My spark? What about my spark? "We'll have to run a few tests, though, to make sure nothing went wrong." Tests? Oh, slag, no. Nuh-uh. Not happening. There is _no way_ I'm becoming a science experiment! I gave a small yowl of fury as I suddenly leapt off the counter. Running on four feet–metal paws?–was awkward at first, but once I got the hang of it, I actually had quite a bit of speed.

"Wait, don't run away!" the blue mech called out as he rushed after me. Don't run away? Was he kidding? Did he honestly think I was going to sit around and let him dissect me? No way! I dashed toward the door, praying for a miracle. Luckily, it came in the form of a bright yellow mech who, at that exact moment, opened the door to come into the weird lab. I didn't get a good look at him, though, as I zigzagged through his legs.

"What the–" The yellow mech whirled around and started after me. I was determined, though. I raced toward the front door in the lobby. I needed another miracle. This time, it was a thin red mech, one that I found _extremely_ attractive. As he opened the door, I wondered if he knew that was going on inside this horror-house.

"Hey, she's awake!" he chirped as he opened the door. Well, that answered that question. Pity. All the good ones are either taken, or they're homicidal maniacs.

"Sideswipe, close the–" The mech cut off as I shot out the door and took a right down the street. "Go get her!"

"Roger!" the red mech said with a two fingered salute. Within kliks, the wheels on the red mechs pedes were spinning quickly as he laid chase. I whimpered as he skated after me. It was the alleyways all over again, only worse. At least those Decepticons would have simply killed me. These mechs wanted to make me an experiment. Well, I wouldn't let them, no matter how handsome the mech chasing me was! I made a sharp right turn. The mech behind me had been too close to me and hadn't anticipated my change of direction, so he accidentally went too far. He immediately turned back around, though and continued his pursuit. I started making more turns. I was smaller, so I figured I could use that to my advantage. I saw my chance when I noticed a small space in between two buildings. I would barely fit, but the red mech wouldn't have a chance, he would have to backtrack and go around, and by then, I'd be gone.

Without hesitation, I dashed into the gap, and ignoring the mech's cursing, I rushed through the long gap, having to wriggle past a few of the more narrow areas, to the other side. I turned right and began running again. I took a few random turns, and when I was certain the mech was no longer following me, I slowed. I padded over to the doorstep of one of the many houses that lined this sector of Iacon. It was upper class. Joy. Snobby rich folk. Just what I needed. I gave a small sigh, offlining my optics as I let my body relax. Now that I was stationary, I realized how tired I was. I was just about to slip into recharge when I was yanked up by my scruff bar on the back of my neck. I let out a yowl of anger. Couldn't everyone just leave me alone? I mean, is that really too much to ask for?

"Hmm. A spark cybercat. What are doing in this area without a leash?" the green mech questioned. I stared at him. A _leash_? Really? "You must be lost. Let's get you to the pet shop. They'll know what to do with you." With that, the mech started walking away. Great. Now I was going to be sold as a domesticated cyber-animal. Now, all I needed was for Megatron to suddenly drop from the sky and buy me as his pet. Then my _wonderful_ day would be complete.

The walk to the pet shop was completely silent, aside from my low growls of frustration. How was it possible that my orn could become _this_ bad in a matter of breems? I held back a sigh as the mech holding me opened the front door of the shop. The rough barks of petro-hounds and the obnoxious squawks of cyberhawks filled my audio receptors. How irritating. Was the mech really going to leave me here?

"Hello, and welcome to Iacon's Favorite Companions. How may I help you?" The femme at the counter didn't stop smiling as she spoke. I felt my mouth plates – muzzle plates? – move to form a scowl. I wondered idly if my little claws would do any damage.

"Good joor. I found this little rascal outside one of the housing complexes. I picked up its spark signal on my scanner, so I brought it here," the mech holding me explained.

"Oh! Hand it here," the femme ordered, holding out her servos. The mech dropped me unceremoniously into her waiting hands, earning a hiss from me. The femme clicked reproachfully at me, and I instinctively let my ears drop against me head in shame. "Poor dear. She's barely more than a kitten, and she was all alone out there!"

"Yes. A pity," the mech said dryly. "If that is all…"

"Oh, yes. You may leave. Thank you," the femme replied. The mech turned on his heel and left without a backwards glance. The femme immediately started moving. "Now let's make sure you are free of viruses." I grimaced but remained silent.

The small medical room was empty aside from a single caged retro-rabbit, which looked rather pitiful in my opinion. The room had a single padded berth, and multiple cabinets and counters lined the walls. I was a bit hesitant to be in a medbay so soon after becoming a living experiment, but at least it was silent and safe. The femme set me down on the padded berth and grabbed a scanner.

"So, blue optics? I must admit that I've never seen a cyberkitten with blue optics before. Normally, your kind have silver optics. Don't get me wrong!" The femme held her free arm up in surrender as she used the scanner with the other. "You're optics are very pretty. If any Autobots come by, I bet they'll buy you in a spark beat! Wow! You're perfectly healthy!" I grunted when she abruptly picked me up.

"Let's get you on display!" Yippee.

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><p>Optimus Prime rubbed his optics wearily as he watched the different diplomats shuffle from the meeting room. This was not his orn. Not only had he had to deal with the growing piles of dead bodies found around the planet, he now had to deal with the many new leaders as they argued over which city needed to receive their materials first. It would be an understatement to say that he was tired. Every orn seemed to be the same. Online, work on datapads in his office in his large upscale housing unit, go to the meeting room at Iacon's city hall, listen to the other mechs argue and argue, go back home, do more datapad-work, and finally pass out in his berth. Somewhere in there, he refueled, but he wasn't entirely certain when. Ratchet would probably be beating him with a wrench if he could scan him. Prime smiled fondly at the thought.<p>

Optimus' smile faded, though, when he thought back to the last time he had seen the ex-CMO. It had been when he offered him that spot as a diplomat… Had it really been that long ago? Now that he thought of it, when was the last time he saw Ironhide? Or Bumblebee? Jazz? His frown grew.

"Now, when a mech's got _that_ expression on 'is faceplates, somethin's wrong." Prime had to smile at the familiar voice. What did those humans say about speaking of the devil?

"Jazz. It's been a long time, friend," Prime greeted as he turned to look at the mech. The small silver mech was leaning casually against the door, a small smile on his face. The ex-saboteur had been revived by the CMO days before the final battle with Megatron. It had been quite a battle, too.

"Yeah, it 'as. Still skippin' out on recharge?" Jazz teased easily. Prime smiled.

"Just some of the times," he replied. "Don't tell Ratchet."

"Pff, I'm avoidin' the ol' Hatchet, too. It's been _orns_ since I got mah last routine check-up. I figure it don' matta much, seein' as I'm so young and I don' hafta worry 'bout some 'con shootin' meh." Jazz ended his phrase with a wide grin. It was just like old times. Jazz studied his leader, a mech that was now working to maintain the fragile peace on Cybertron. The mech looked so worn out and…lonely. Jazz frowned when he realized that he must be missing Elita even more now that the other surviving femmes weren't wasting time in settling down. In fact, many of them had traded in their heavy armor for the thinner, more appealing fashion armor. Now that they didn't have to worry about war, they could move back to the more trendy armor styles. Not that Jazz was complaining. He liked femmes just as much as they loved him. Heck, Optimus wasn't old, either, and he was quite sought after by the femmes of this day and age. He just didn't have the time – nor was he emotionally ready – for a femme in his life. What he needed was someone who could look after themselves and not demand all his attention, yet keep him company when he needed someone…

"Prime, you should get a pet."

Prime blinked at the silver mech. Where had _that_ statement come from? Why did he need a pet? Why did _Jazz _think he needed a pet? Prime frowned to show his confusion. "…What?"

"Ya need a pet! Somethin' that can entertain itself while yo'r 'way, but will enjoy any attention you'll give it. Somethin' that won't mind jus' sittin' by ya, ya know?"

"…No…I believe you lost me somewhere in the second sentence. Why would I get a pet if I was just going to leave it alone?" Prime asked, utterly confused.

"Tha's jus' it! Ya won't leave it alone! Only when yo'r on trips or in a meetin'," Jazz clarified.

"…Ah…I, um, see…" Prime mumbled.

"Good!" Jazz chirped. The small mech grabbed Prime's forearm and started out the door. "Le's go shoppin' then!"

"Wait! We're going _now_?" Optimus asked, completely bewildered by Jazz's behavior. Sweet Primus, was this how the little mech acted when he wasn't around? No wonder Prowl had that glitch. Prime would probably glitch, too, if his best friend was like this!

"Yeah, righ' now. I hafta go on another security trip in a few joors, an' I wan' ta make sure ya get a pet _b'fo'e_ I leave. If I let ya do this by yaself, you'll neva get one."

Prime simply sighed as he allowed his former Third in Command drag him towards the nearest high-class pet shop. This was definitely _not_ his orn.

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><p><strong>Gender-bender-lover-101:<strong> I will ;)

**Cairistona:** I 3 your long reviews and how you point out what you like about the story! i love writing the interactions between Sides and Hatchet. There's so much wiggle room because they really have a love/hate relationship, if you think about it, ya know?

**Uncertain-angel: **I'm glad you like it.

**Pixelshadow:** Yeah... really no other way to do it. But after, you'll be thrown for many, many loops, I hope. ;P And I agree. Poor cat, but it had to be done. :(

**Flowbreak:** You'll see in maybe ten chapters the significance of the operation.

**Zoey the wolf:** Don't worry. I have an overactive imagination, too. i mean, seriously. Have you _seen_ my first story?


	3. To Buy a Pet

Here's your next chapter. The next one will take a while, because I'm still kinda trying to figure out how to write it. I mean, how does one exlain Optimus Prime's housing unit, which is precisely what I am stuck on. Then I have to figure out Prime's schedule. Yeah. That's simple enough. Well, enjoy

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

To Buy a Pet

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><p>I had a helm-ache. The pet store was far more loud than what should be legally possible, and I was fairly certain if one of the petro-hounds howled <em>one more time<em>, I was going to strangle it. Oh, wait! I don't have opposable thumbs… Then I'd scratch its optics out or something. I'd give the pitiful excuse for a cyber-animal a _real_ reason to howl. Gee whiz, I was beginning to sound like a Decepticon. See what being stuck in a place like this will do to ya? Maybe Megatron should've tried this tactic. He might have actually won.

My cage was located in the middle of shop near the registers. It was a simple cage. There were three white walls that bordered the cages to three petro-hounds, and there was one wall of bars that faced the checkout counter. These walls were easily twice as tall as me. The top of the cage was made up of a transparent form of Cybertronian glass, meaning it was very hard to break. Currently, that top was open. Unfortunately, the femme who worked here was _always _at the registers at the checkout counter. I wasn't sure which I hated more: the howling petro-hounds or the irritating femme that was constantly talking to me about the most inane things. What food retro-rabbits liked? What shade pink was better for her shade of blue optics? What orn was the best to hook up on? My processor was on the verge of a total meltdown. The worst part was that I couldn't communicate how much I _didn't care_ to the happily oblivious femme. My optics twitched when she changed topics again, and I jumped to my feet – er paws – and began pacing the perimeter of my cage. My ears perked at the sound of the door opening.

"Hello, and welcome to Iacon's Favorite Compan–" She broke off and gasped out, "Optimus Prime!" She skittered around the counter as she hurried out of my sight toward her customer. "Welcome, Optimus Prime, sir! How can I help you?"

"We're here t' buy a pet," a deeply accented voice stated. Okay. That was definitely not the voice of Optimus Prime. Then again, the voice did say "we" so I could probably safely assume the store keeper was right in her choice of names.

"Of course! Do you have any preferences?" the femme quizzed.

"No. We will simply browse until we find what we are searching for," another, deeper mech voice stated. Yeah, now _that_ was definitely Optimus Prime's regal voice.

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir!" the femme sputtered. I padded over to one of the walls and lifted my front paws against the wall in an attempt to see over. No luck. Stupid walls. I heard the petro-hounds suddenly start moving around, and I dashed the short distance to the other side of my cage. I attempted to see over that wall, but I could only see the tip of a silver helm. Well, slag… I hopped a little on my hind legs, but only caught sight of a blue visor. I scampered to the front of the cage with a frustrated vent of air. I wanted to see them. I pressed my faceplates up against the bars, trying to see out. No luck. I let my body sag against the bars in defeat. Stupid shortness.

"'Ey, Prime! There's some good lookin' petro-'ounds ova 'ere!" the silver mech called out. No, Prime doesn't want those! They'll annoy the slag outta him with their incessant howling, and somehow, I was certain Prime murdering his own pets would be frowned upon. I hopped up again when I heard the heavy footsteps. I trotted back to that second wall and lifted my paws. It really was Optimus Prime! Would it be weird to ask for an image capture with him, or an autograph? Oh…It wouldn't matter…I'm a cyberkitten…

I let my front legs drop back to the ground as a sudden depression hit me. I was stuck like this. My creators must be so worried. They probably thought I got offlined while walking home. If anyone ever checks that energon in the alley… it will have my signature… You don't have to have a body to be proclaimed offline…

"I don't know if I would want a petro-hound, Jazz…" Prime replied hesitantly. My ears perked again. Jazz? As in, First Lieutenant Jazz? Stream would be so jealous. I gave a small vent. If I ever spoke to her again.

"Look at this one, Jazz," Prime murmured. I turned to look back over at where they were at the petro-hounds cages only to find that they were now standing over _my_ cage, looking rather intently at _me_.

"Ain't eva seen a cybercat with blue optics," Jazz claimed. "Looks like she's one of a kind." Ha! He didn't even know the _half_ of it.

"Miss?" Optimus called out. The femme suddenly materialized beside Prime and smiled sweetly at him. Optimus, for his part, completely ignored her. "Where did you acquire this cybercat?"

"She was brought in by one of the upper-class mechs. I'm not quite sure of his designation." The femme smiled down at me, and I fought back the urge to sneer at her. Instead, I prowled closer to the two mechs as the shop keeper continued speaking. "She is probably the only of her kind that has that color optics. And she's still a kitten."

"How much attention would she require?" Optimus asked.

"She would need at least three or four breems of your attention every three or four joors. Cybercats are relatively easily self entertained, if you buy the right kinds of toys."

"I see."

"You would receive a free information chip with a file of care tips with the purchase," she added in a 'this-is-an-offer-you-can't-refuse' sort of tone.

"Hmm." I stared at Prime as he seemed to have an inner debate. My tail swished back and forth behind me as he stared intently at me, as if he was trying to see into my very spark. I found this semi-creepy, so I moved my gaze to the mech beside him. Lieutenant Jazz. I had always heard that he was a pretty cool mech. I trotted over to the area of the cage that he stood near.

"Mrroow," I said in greeting. The mech grinned.

"'Sup?" he replied. I flick my tail.

"_Well… I'm actually not a cybercat, but I am a femme Autobot. Whoops. Ex-Autobot."_ Unfortunately, all that came out was "Mrow mroooowwww hiss click click. Mew. Chirp click." The mech nodded as if he understood. I wondered idly if he really _did_ understand me.

"Yeah. Happens t' meh all the time." Nope. Definitely didn't speak cybercat. Well, that sucks.

"Meow mrow click click." _Somehow, I doubt that._

"Completely understandable. I'd be the same way if I was ya."

"Click purr mew click." _Yeah, I'm sure you would._

"If Prime would jus' take ya home, it'd save us all a lot a' trouble. I'm sure ya agree?" I saw Prime give Jazz an exasperated look out of the corner of my optics. "Afta' all, we all know 'e wants t' buy ya."

"Apparently, I want this one. How many credits is she being sold for?" Prime asked. I looked up at him from my position in my cage.

"Come this way, and I can give you _all_ the information you need!" the femme chirped. She all but sprinted to the register and started rifling through some papers. Prime and Jazz followed at a slower pace, and I moved to the barred wall of my cage to watch them. They spoke in quiet tones, and I could see the femme giving Prime some info-chips as he transferred the correct amount of credits from his account. The femme said something, and Jazz suddenly made his way back to my cage.

"Come on, sweetspark," he murmured as he reached into my cage. His servos gently wrapped around my body right behind my front legs. My tail twitched, and my hind legs kicked at the sudden loss of ground. Jazz remedied this problem, though, by holding me to his chassis with one hand while the other moved under my rear, so that I was in a sitting position. Well, this wasn't awkward at all. After I was situated, Jazz moved back to stand by Prime.

Wow. Optimus was definitely a very tall mech… Or maybe it was because I was so small… The femme smiled as she grabbed something from underneath the counter. I grimaced when I saw that it was a cage. This one was made of gilded metal. Looking at it, one would probably think it was worth the money, but I knew that it wasn't. I knew it was a piece of recycled scrap, and by the look on Prime's face, he knew it, too. He didn't say anything, though, as the shopkeeper shuffled around the desk, grabbing different toys and a very comfy looking cybercat bed. Prime put the toys in his subspace and moved the cat bed to Jazz.

"'Ey, now, Prime… I ain't gonna be carryin' that. Mah servos are full wit' the cat," Jazz protested. Carrying a pink and white cat bed would definitely give his image a huge gash. He really didn't need that when he was planning on hitting a big party in Helix with Blaster in an orn.

"He will be in the cage, and I will be carrying the cage," Prime replied smugly.

"She," the femme corrected. "Your kitten is a femme."

"Ah. Well, I will be holding _her_ cage. That leaves you to hold the bed. After all, carrying that around will be bad for my image as a strong and mechly Prime. You understand, right?" Prime grinned down at the ex-Lieutenant. "This was _your_ idea."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jazz mumbled.

"Sir," Prime added.

"Oh. Sorry. Yeah, yeah, yeah, _sir,_" Jazz amended irritably. "This is gonna do _wonders_ wit' mah rep. The things I do fo' mah Prime."

"Indeed." Prime was still grinning as he lifted me out of Jazz's servos. I kicked at the weird lack of ground under my back pedes, but the floor was quickly replaced with that of the gilded cage. The top of the cage was closed, and the hatch was clicked over to lock it. I felt anticipation bubble into my spark. I was going to live at Prime's housing unit! Wait… I suddenly felt my spark drop to my feet.

I was going to live in Prime's housing unit _as his pet_. Oh, Primus. Oh, Primus. Oh, Primus! What was he going to do when he found out that I wasn't a cyberkitten? What was my _father_ going to do when he found out that I was living with the Prime? He was going to flip! And not in a good way. Of course, he had to find out about my body, then he'd have to find a way to track me… Yeah, like that was going to happen. I grimaced. My bad outlook on this was going to drag my spark into depression. I needed to be positive… Somehow.

I gave a startled yowl when Prime suddenly picked up the cage and started toward the door. I could see Jazz sulking as he walked beside us, pink and white cat bed in hand. My cage was held close to Prime's chassis, so I was actually at my old height. It was funny to think that Prime was only two heads taller than me.

"Jazz, turn left up here. The Metro will get us to my housing unit much faster," Prime stated.

"I ain't goin' on the Metro. Too many mechs an' femmes can see meh there," Jazz claimed, ignoring his leader's orders. Optimus sighed.

"Very well. I suppose we can take the long way home," he mumbled.

"You bet we can," Jazz replied, winking at a giggling femme as she stared at him. She rolled her optics and continued walking in the opposite direction.

"My, my, Jazz. It appears you are losing your touch with the femmes," Prime teased.

"It's this slaggin' bed! It's crampin' mah style!"

"Of course it is, Jazz."

"Hey! Watch yo'r vocal processor, Prime! I'll have ya know, I am a very eligible bach'luh, an' _all_ the femmes wan' a piece a' the Jazz-man."

"Whatever you say, Jazz," Optimus conceded. Jazz huffed an outtake and crossed his arms. The attitude in the movement was lost, though, when he could get his arm over the bed. Jazz scowled when Optimus chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," the small mech grumbled. "Le's jus' get t' ya housin' unit _b'fo'e_ this finds its way inta the _Cybertronian_ _Times_."

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><p>Review replies are back up, so I can actually reply now! Yippee!<p> 


	4. Day 1

What is this? An update? Yes! I finally finished another chapter. Happy readings. Here's the info you may need for this chapter.

Breem: 8.3 minutes (roughly)

Joor: 6 hours

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Day 1

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><p>His housing unit was <em>huge<em>. My optics were wide as he set my cage on the colossal desk. Well, colossal to me. It only went to his waist. The top of the cage was opened, and Prime's large hand scooped me up. I gave a startled _meow_ as Prime settled me on the ground by his pedes. I looked around the huge room. It must have been his office, or something. I glanced up Prime, wondering what exactly he was expecting me to do. Both mechs were watching me closely. I took a few steps forward, away from Prime and Jazz, my claws making slight clicks against the metal floor.

"Well, go on," Jazz prodded with a grin. He lifted a silver pede and scooted me forward. I hissed at him, feeling undignified by the way he moved me. If I ever got my body back, I was going to lecture him on not kicking an innocent cyberkitten's skidplate. Rude mech. I vented a breath as I lifted my head and tail haughtily. I trotted away, ignoring Jazz's chuckles. "Dang, Prime. Tha' li'l kitt'n 'as an attitude," he claimed.

"Yes, she does," Prime replied with a small smile.

"I think she's cute. If ya eva need a petsitter, I'm yo'r mech," Jazz stated, as he moved my way. I ignored him and moved past the open office door. Right across from the office was a hallway. To my right was the door that led to the outside world. To my left were doors that led to different rooms in the housing unit. I decided to explore the room right across from my position first.

There was no door on this room, but it was completely open to the hallway. A greeting room. I knew this because my father had a room fashioned just like this one. It was the room where everybot could speak openly about anything, and it was where visitors were taken to speak with. The room held two chairs where a bot could relax and a couch was placed across from the chairs. In between the chairs and couch, there was a short table. An energon dispenser was set up in the center of that table. I decided this room was boring, so I trodded back across the hall and moved to the room beside Prime's office, Jazz trailing me in the most obnoxious manner. Was I _really_ this fascinating?

"Lemme get tha' fo' ya," Jazz offered as he opened the door. I glanced up at him, before I peered inside. A closet. A _cleaning_ closet. I saw two cleaning drones and grimaced. They were about ten times my height. Joy. I made a mental note to never get dirty and to stay out of their way whenever there was a mess. I turned back around and moved to the room beside the closet. I waited as Jazz opened the door, and I moved inside.

It was his berthroom. A large berth stood off to the side, and a table was situated at the head of the berth. A few datapads were stacked on the berthside table, proof of working until he passed out. A counter was situated on the wall perpendicular to the bed and across from the door. This counter held an energon dispenser and various half-drank energon cubes. Right beside the counter was a window. The wall across from his berth housed a door that, no doubt, led to personal washracks. I really didn't feel like exploring his washracks, so I slowly exited the room and moved right across the hall to the last door. This room was right behind the greeting room and took up and equal amount of space as the berthroom, washracks, and closet combined. Jazz opened the door, and I gasped.

He had his own _library_. I slowly padded inside, my optics wide. I looked around in awe. A rolling ladder made the many tall bookcases easily accessible. Every wall had a bookcase, and two chairs sat side-by-side in the center of the room. I gave an excited chirp as I moved forward.

And Jazz grabbed me.

"Sorry, kitt'n, but I can' letcha play in 'ere. I don' think Prime would like ya scratchin' up all 'is datapads," Jazz chided as he lifted me to his chassis. He moved back down the hall and entered Prime's office. A large, castle-like scratch-post had been assembled in a corner behind Prime's desk, and a few of the toys were lying around on the floor. "You 'ad _that_ in yo'r subspace?" Jazz asked, eyeing the scratching post.

"Yes. Why else did you think I made you carry the bed for?" Prime asked with a sly smile. "My subspace was full." Prime moved from his position behind his desk to Jazz's side and lifted me into his servos.

"Ya still 'aven't designated 'er," Jazz stated. Prime smiled down at me.

"How about 'Freedom'? It is, after all, what I am currently striving to uphold," Prime suggested as he gently scratched behind my right ear. I leaned into the touch, and a purr rose from my vocal processor. It felt so good.

"I like it. Now, I have ta go home. Gotta ge' packin' b'fo'e I miss mah flight," Jazz claimed as he spun and made his way out of the office. Prime followed him to the front door, his grip on me tightening as Jazz keyed the door open. "I'll come by first thing when I ge' back."

"I shall look forward to it," Optimus assured him.

"Yup, 'cuz I'm the bes' thing in yo'r life righ' now," Jazz said as he started walking away. "Wha' otha' friend would help ya choose yo'r first pet?"

"Yes, Jazz. I assure you, you are the only one that has ever forced me to get a pet," Optimus stated as he rolled his optics. He started closing the door, but he didn't miss Jazz yelling, "Watch yo'r tone wit' meh, Prime! I c'n still beat you in hand-ta-hand!"

"I _let_ him win," Optimus informed me as he locked the door. I looked up at him and meowed my amusement. Optimus chuckled as he moved back into his office. "Well, I guess we should put your bed somewhere in my berthroom." He put me down by his feet and lifted up the pink cat bed. I trotted after him as he made his way down the hall to his room. He placed the bed on the floor near the head of his berth. He looked over at me and smiled. "It's not much, but it's home."

'_Not much? My housing unit is smaller than this and holds a family unit of four, assuming my brother is at home instead of the academy,'_ I thought sourly. _'Plus, you have a _library_. How many bots have a _library_ in their housing unit?'_

"Now, I have to finish some datapads before I recharge, so I will be in my office," he said, more to himself than to me, I think. The massive mech stood to his full height and moved from the room. I glanced over at the door, then back at my little bed. I was not tired yet, so I decided to follow him. My little paws clinked against the floor as I trotted towards his huge office. Prime was sitting down at his desk, picking up a datapad from the huge pile on his desk. While he got to work, I looked around the office.

It was simple enough, much like the rest of his housing unit was. A desk with a chair, a few wall-mounted shelves, and my new castle. All-in-all, it wasn't really what I expected for a Prime. The only holopics were of mechs that I could recognize as high-ranking officers in his army. Friends. No pictures of Elita-One. Why wouldn't he have pictures of his mate… unless she wasn't around to take any new pictures for him. I frowned lightly as I made my way over to my new castle, and with a single powerful leap that I didn't even know I could accomplish, I landed on the bottom platform of the three-leveled castle. I unsheathed my claws and climbed up one of the circular supports to get to the next level, a task which was not easily accomplished. I plopped down and studied my new owner and leader of the planet Cybertron. Needless to say, I was fast in recharge within a few breems.

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><p>I woke up with a quiet chirp to the sound of a dropped datapad. My optics roamed the room, dimly lit in my recharge. The past day rushed back to me when my optics landed on Optimus Prime, who was offline at his desk. His helm was buried in his crossed arms, which were currently crushing an unlucky datapad. He had accidentally knocked over one of the datapads when he had shifted apparently. I grimaced. That <em>had<em> to hurt his spinal support strut. Primus, was this how our Prime always treated himself? Well, his new kitty was gonna have to change that. I stood and stretched languidly, allowing my muscle relays to warm up a bit, before I hopped down from my castle. I trotted over to the Prime's chair and looked up at him. Primus, he was huge. Well, I had my mission. I moved to his leg and poked it with my front paw.

Nothing. My optics narrowed as I poked him again. Still nothing. I scowled as I started pacing. After all those vorns at war, one would think the Prime wouldn't be a deep recharger. I looked back at Optimus and released an irritated yowl. Nope. What was _wrong_ with this mech? I stomped deliberately to his leg and sat back on my haunches. I lifted my left paw and unsheathed my claws. Without a second thought, I raked my claw against the armor on his leg. Optimus grumbled in his sleep and kicked me away without really onlining. I growled lowly and tried again, putting more force behind the mini-attack.

I was not ready for the response.

Optimus jumped awake. The chair fell backwards as he surged to his feet. Energon swords shot from his wrists, fully replacing his hands, and his mouth guard moved to protect his face as he moved his body into a defensive position. He moved around jerkily, looking for his attacker before they could launch another assault. Unfortunately, my left paw was attached to his armor by the claws, so I was forced to hang on for the ride as Prime looked around. I finally gave an irritated chirp. Prime froze and looked down at me.

"Freedom?" he questioned, his blades retreating back into subspace. I meowed, grimacing as he lifted his leg up and sent me an amused look when I was lifted up with it. I suddenly wished Jazz were here. He'd be able to take a picture of this, and I had a feeling Prime didn't look very dignified with one leg up in the air, so I doubted he would be laughing at me. "What are you doing?"

"Meow," I informed him. His optics dimmed tiredly.

"Of all the creatures Jazz could've picked out, he finds the demanding one with claws," Prime muttered to himself. I snorted indignantly. Prime knelt down and gently unhooked my claws from his tough armor. "I'll have to look into getting you declawed. Perhaps that will give me an excuse to visit Ratchet." My optics snapped up to his. Declawed? _Declawed?_ I just kept him from having to visit a medic for his spinal strut, and he repays me by removing my only defense. Not a chance. His optics roamed over his desk, and they brightened when they landed on the datapad that had been crushed under his arm. "Oh, Primus, no." He let out a frustrated groan. "That took me three joors to write." He glanced out the window and saw that the second moon was setting, and the sun was beginning to rise. I stepped backward when he stood again. He strode from the office with purposeful strides. I glanced at the broken datapad that was sitting so far above me and decided that there was nothing I could do. So I left the room.

Optimus was moving around the house at a quick and even pace, easily stepping over me whenever he moved past. I filled my time by following him around. I figured a newly purchased cyberkitten would do that. Or was that something a petro-hound did? Either way, Prime seemed to ignore me as he bustled around, preparing for a meeting (I guessed). I chirped curiously as he passed by me again. He suddenly stopped, glancing back at me.

"Fuel. You need fuel," he informed me. He disappeared down the hall again. I cocked my head and sat down as I waited for his return. I couldn't deny that energon sounded really good right now. Prime walked out of his room with a small cube of energon in his servo. As he walked past, he scooped me up into his free hand, not even slowing down as he moved back into his office. He set the cube down beside his desk and set me on my paws beside the cube. He ran a hand down my back before walking out of the office. I heard the front door slide open and slide shut. Then there was silence. I looked down at the cube of energon, and with a sigh, I resigned myself to lapping it up like the cybercat I was. It only took about a breem to finish refueling, so I decided to go back to Prime's room to take a nap on my new cat bed. I never made it to his room, though, because once I saw that the library was open, I no longer had the desire to sleep. Deciding that I might as well use the time I have wisely, I walked into the library and began searching the bottom row of datapads, searching for something to ease my boredom. Hopefully, Prime wouldn't get back before I finished.

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><p>Yeah. Lame ending for the chapter, but this chapter was a pain to write anyways. -.- Anywho, reviews make the world go round! So review, and save the world...<p> 


	5. One is the Loneliest Number

I'm so sorry, guys! I told many of y'all that I was updating on Tuesday, and I swear I planned to. Sadly, school started, and I was swamped with homework and drama, and the end result was a broken and depressed girl who didn't want to write, knowing that someone was gonna get hurt if I did. I'm better now, though, and my muse has been assaulting me all day. So, to make up for the unkept promise of an earlier update, I made sure it got over 3k words (though I know that's not much, it's the best I got right now.)

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

One is the Loneliest Number

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><p>Prime was quickly discovering that a bad day could easily become worse. Never before had he thought that he would miss be a commander in a war like the last one. At least in the war, he could just say "no" to everybot, and they'd accept the answer. In this particular meeting, not only was he working without his notes or prompts (which he had conveniently crushed earlier this joor), but anytime he said "no" to a plan to build, he had to explain his reasoning at least five times, changing up the words to fit the different ways the same question (demand) was asked.<p>

"Tarn needs these materials, Prime! We were hit the hardest!" the senator from said city-state claimed in a semi-accusatory voice.

"That is your own fault! You slaggers are the reason the Great War started in the first place!" another senator snarled. "The supplies should go to Vos, sir!"

"They should go to Polyhex! We must contain the smelting pools!"

"So you can go back to slagging innocents? Pit, no!"

"We do not use the pools as punishment anymore!"

"You never used them for punishment, but for torture and executions!"

"Why, you little–"

"Enough!" Silence followed the Prime's order. He glared at the bots seated before him. The room was set up so that the Prime and his advisors were on a balcony above the others, making it easier to protect him, as well as give the impression that no one was above him. It wasn't something Optimus really cared for, but he knew better then to fight with Hoist on this. The different senator and representatives from the other city-states were seated in rows that form a semi-circle facing his balcony. Currently, every single face held unbridled anger, and a few held hate. Optimus frowned at them, his optics hard. "We will get absolutely nowhere by yelling at each other. Our new peace is fragile, and I do not want another war starting due the disagreements staring in this room." There were a few scattered mutters, a few dark looks, and a few nods. Prime didn't continue on that subject, though. He wanted this meeting done with so that he could return home.

"Now," the Prime started, "I have gone over this with my advisors, and we have decided that it would be best to send these supplies to upper Praxus, Vos, and the Neutral Territories. We will not be sending any more bots for construction. I will send Hoist or one of the Constructicons to draw the blueprints for buildings, but you will have to have your own mechs do the work. My builders have enough work to do here and in lower Praxus to deal with the upper end bots. Compute?"

There were agreeing murmurs and nods. Prime sat back as he waited for the next topic to come up. When the mech from Kaon spoke up, Prime knew this was going to be a long joor. "How long before we can get the gladiatorial circuit back up and running?"

Primus help him.

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><p>To say that finding a good datapad was hard would be an understatement. True, I probably should've expected this much. I was a tiny cybercat, and these shelves were easily as tall as the Prime. That wasn't the biggest problem, though, because I could easily knock the things to the ground. No, it was finding one worth reading that was making my life difficult. According to the titles on the sides of the datapads, everything was about politics, old excavations, and the previous Primes (and even that only talked about their old speeches). Not to mention, I wasn't exactly able to make fast progress. The first row was easy to survey. I just had to walk along the floor, reading the titles as I did. The second row was a bit harder, though. I stood on my back legs, not at all pleased by how difficult it was and walked back down the shelf, balancing my front paws against the shelf to keep from falling backwards. The third shelf, though, I had to actually think. There wasn't a large amount of space between the end of the datapad and the edge of the shelf, meaning that jumping up there wasn't going to be an easy task.<p>

Was _all_ of Cybertron against me, or just Praxus?

I dropped down to all four paws and glared up at the ornate metal shelf, going over my options. I could climb up to the third shelf, jump up to the third shelf, or I could just move on to a different shelf all together. There were at least ten other shelves, and I knew I could browse the bottom two shelves on one of those. Somehow, that felt like giving up. I couldn't give up, especially on something like this. I was _Moonstrike_, and I was an Autobot, for Pit's sake! I wasn't going to let this go. This would be easier if I had my old battle computer, though. I gauged the distance from where I was to the third shelf and decided I could probably make it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? I crouched down and launched myself upwards.

And slammed into the bottom of the fourth shelf.

I gave a pained yowl as I grabbed onto the ledge of the third shelf with the very ends of my front claws. My bottom half curled as I tried to get my hind legs onto the shelf. Unfortunately, I wasn't getting any purchase. Slag. I looked down and decided that I _really_ shouldn't let go. I turned my head back forward with a vent of frustration. Then I saw it. A book on art in the Golden Age. Now I _had_ to get onto the shelf. I stabbed my front claws into the metal and pulled myself up a little, then I moved my other claw forward and stabbed into the metal again. I kept the up until my back paws could get onto the shelf. I slowly got to my pedes and grimaced at the height. Getting the datapad down to the floor was going to be a trial. I looked back at said datapad and grimaced. The thing was easily taller than me. I stood on my hind legs again and put my front paws on the tip of the datapad. I used all of my strength to tip the datapad over. I felt a small sense of pride when the datapad fell onto its side.

Then that pride turned into frustration when the pad fell all the way to the ground and landed screen-side down. 'Dear Primus! _Why?_' I thought angrily. I looked down at the ground, which was at least fifteen feet down. I was only six feet tall… and that drop looking very, very far down. My paws shuffled around as I tried to get in position to jump down. I leapt from the shelf and landed rather gracefully beside the datapad. I blinked in surprise before giving a satisfied click and allowing my features to grow smug. A cybercat _always_ lands on her pedes. I should've known I'd land perfectly. Came with the territory.

'_Now to flip over that datapad,_' I thought to myself as I circled the pad. The pad was about seven feet tall, four feet wide, and about two feet thick. I had absolutely no idea how much it weighed, or if I would even be able to lift it. I grimaced as I wiggled my paws underneath it. I grinned when I realized that it wasn't as heavy as I thought it'd be. Once it was far enough off the ground, I moved my head and shoulders under it to give more leverage to push with. I kept moving under it until it was tilted at almost a ninety degree angle, then I used my tail to shove it over the rest of the way. There was a dull _thud_ as it landed on its back, and I gave a happy whistle. The battle with boredom was won! Without further ado, I pounced on the power button and began reading about the first discovered artist of the Golden Age.

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><p>He rubbed his optics wearily as he listened to the bickering. They had already taken twice the amount of time for this meeting as scheduled. His secretary was going to fritz. Just what he needed right now. He looked down at the delegates, who had degraded to insulting the mech-power behind the rebuilding. He looked over at Mirage, then at Thundercracker. Both looked as tired as he did.<p>

"This meeting is far lost. We will not be able to salvage any intelligent decisions when our leaders are like this," Prime told his fellow rulers. There was no mistaking the ranking between the leaders. Though Prime hadn't meant it, he was the main leader, the decision-maker, and the go-to mech amongst the leaders. There was no doubting that he was still Prime and he still led Cybertron, despite the other leaders there. Soundwave nodded his helm.

"Statement: logical. Suggestion: adjourn meeting until next orn," the monotone mech stated.

"Wise choice, but what about our decision? We cannot put this off forever," Prime debated.

"Meeting can be held off while tempers cool. Diagnosis of Prime: under-energized. Result: little patience. Suggested course of action: shoot the first politician you come in contact with." Prime chuckled at the ex-communications officer.

"Sometimes, I wish I could," he said.

"Ah, but that would very likely be frowned upon by the public," Mirage reasoned from his spot. He was lounging back in his chair, and he had been dozing rather comfortably when a particularly loud bellow from a politician below startled him awake. His twin blades had shot from his wrists as he surveyed his surroundings, always the soldier. Then his optics had brightened as his processor caught up with him. Now, he was back in that relaxed position, a small smile on his face that implied that he very much wanted to shoot a few of those delegates himself.

"I can see why you would believe that," Optimus claimed in a mock-thoughtful voice.

"They whine more than Starscream, but at least we were allowed to _hit_ him when he pissed us off," Thundercracker stated from his spot beside Mirage.

"Well, Prime, I'll finish off this meeting if you want to head over to your office. I believe you have some datapads to complete there," Ultra Magnus offered as he stood.

"Very well. Thank you, my friend," Optimus said as he stood. Before he walked away, he heard Thundercracker mumble, "I wouldn't thank him yet," under his breath. He felt a rising sense of dread as he left the room filled with screaming delegates. The trip to his office was uninterrupted, seeing as everybot was either in that meeting or hiding from the delegates that were no doubt going to be angry when they discovered how long the meeting had actually lasted. The Prime keyed in the passcode to his office and stepped inside. The lights brightened the room as he moved into it. He took one look at the desk and nearly fritzed. There were seven piles of datapads on his desk, each pile containing at least ten pads. He groaned. There was no way he was getting home anytime soon.

It never crossed his mind that he was supposed to feed his new cybercat a breem ago. Instead, he only thought of all the work ahead of him and how he was certain he wouldn't be going home anytime this lunar cycle.

* * *

><p>I keened pitifully. Primus, I was so slaggin' <em>hungry<em>! Where was the Prime when he was needed? Here I was, lying on my stomach beside the datapad, legs splayed and optics dimmed, and I was fairly certain I was starving to death. I gave another pitiful whine as I rolled onto my side. Why me? I had been a good youngling. I never broke my carrier's spark. I never disappointed my sire. So why me? My tanks gurgled uncomfortably, and I vented in irritation. Sure. Prime could run a slaggin' planet, but he couldn't feed his cat? What kind of ruler was he?

Deciding to take matters into my own hands, I sluggishly rolled onto my pedes. I trudged out of the library, temporarily ignoring the datapad that would no doubt be used again once I finished my next meal, and I moved into the greeting room. It was as I had first seen it, and I immediately made my way over to the table. A single leap got me onto the metal table, and my optics zeroed in on the energon dispenser. It was a basic button-command dispenser, one that was in most housing units now that energon was more easily found. It was just like the one in my housing unit, and luckily for me, my mech creator had taught me how to use it. I lifted a single golden paw and pressed the "activate" button on the machine. Precious pink energon rushed from the small spout that dispensed the energon, and I experienced a brief moment of panic. Prime was gonna be so pissed if he walked in right then. Then I brushed it off. It was his fault for not feeding me in the first place.

I took my paw off the button and grinned when the flow stopped. I smiled down at the rather large puddle of energon and immediately got to work on lapping it up. The housing unit's main computer was probably already activating clean-up procedures, meaning that those ginormous cleaning drones would be making an unwanted appeared fairly soon. I _really_ wanted to be gone before they appeared. Besides, I still had a datapad to finish.

It was a half-breem later when I heard the tell-tale signs of a cleaning drone. The silver drone made its way into the room, green optics bright and the red light on its head strobing brightly. I hopped down and scurried back into the library, deciding that it wasn't wise to fight with the drone over the energon. I'd just get more when it went away. Not like it minded cleaning up the same mess over and over again. Might as well make use of the annoying thing as long as it was here, right. I grinned as I plopped down beside the datapad and continued where I left off.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey. Optimus."<em> It was a strange sensation. The voice in his mind was extremely familiar. It was like a dream. Why was he dreaming about some mech's voice? Primus, what if the mech appeared in his dream. The Prime grimaced in his mind. That would be extremely weird.

"_Prime," _that persistent voice continued. Optimus grumbled in his recharge and absently swatted his arm in the general direction of the voice. The sound of crashing gave him a sense of accomplishment, and he grinned as his processor settled back into blissful recharge.

"_OPTIMUS PRIME! GET YOUR SLAGGIN' SKIDPLATE OUT OF THAT FRAGGIN' CHAIR!"_ The voice was unable to ignore as Optimus leapt up in surprise. He landed in a crouch, the chair he had been sitting in held threateningly in his servos. His optics lit up and focused on the angry black mech currently taking residence on his floor.

"Primus, Ironhide. What the slag are you doing on my floor?" Optimus questioned, setting the chair down as the ex-weapons specialist pulled himself to his pedes.

"Waking you up, that's what! After all those vorns of war, you'd think the Prime wouldn't be a deep recharger!" Ironhide snarled, more than just a little annoyed. "The second moon just set. It is a new solar cycle, and you have another meeting in a breem."

Optimus groaned, running his hand over his faceplates as he spoke to his long-time friend and current bodyguard. "Another argument. It's like we are still at war." The Prime sighed as he moved toward the door, exhaustion in every movement. He'd been here all lunar cycle? He suddenly froze, ignoring Ironhide when he accidentally bumped into him.

He had been here all of yestercycle. Solar cycle _and_ lunar cycle. He had forgotten about his cybercat. He knew that the young ones, like his, needed at least two mini-cubes of energon a full planetary cycle, and his hadn't eaten since yesterday's solar cycle. His new cat was no doubt very offline.

Jazz was going to offline him.

Suddenly, the meeting he was supposed to be headed towards was no longer important. Jazz was a very dear friend, and he didn't want him to find that the kitten had died for multiple reasons. One: it would prove the point that Prime needed to stop working so much, a point that he really didn't want others to have proof of. Two: it would likely piss the mech off that Prime had inadvertently killed the cat that _Jazz_ had chosen. And three: Optimus _really_ didn't want to be dragged back down to that pet shop by an overeager Jazz to pick out another pet that would inevitably meet the same fate of the one before it.

Optimus suddenly received a sense of fear and horror. He needed to get home before Jazz got back. Maybe Ratchet could save the kitten if it was still alive.

"Tell them I have fallen ill and will be unable to attend the meeting," Prime ordered to his bodyguard. Without waiting for a reply, the Cybertronian leader turned on his pedes and took off down the hallway, leaving a very confused Ironhide behind, unable to follow the younger mech due to his newly repaired hip. The older mech gave a heavy sigh. Maybe if he was lucky, he'd be able to use his cannons on one of the delegates. By the end of his announcement, those delegates were very likely going to want a shot at him as well. Steeling his resolve, Ironhide marched down the hall, somehow feeling as if he was approaching a battle with the worst Decepticons. What he wouldn't give for Megatron to suddenly appear.


	6. Rise in Crime and Strange Discoveries

Guess what, guys! We got a cold front! It got down to 99 degrees! I hafta go hunt for mah sweaters an' scarves! XP

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

Rise in Crime and Strange Discoveries

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><p>The great Prime tapped his foot irritably as the Metro moved at a pace that he could swear was half as fast as normal. He was definitely worried. The joyful comm. messages from Jazz hadn't helped matters one bit.<p>

_**::'Ey, Prime. I'm jus' gettin' off the ship. I figured I oughta call ya t' check on Freedom. She settlin' in good? I plan on partyin' 'til the next sola' cycle, so ya c'n eas'ly reach meh. Comm meh when ya can, an' **_**please**_** don' fo'get t' spend time with the cat.::**_

The whole message made the Prime cringe. Jazz was going to murder him, and knowing the smaller bot, it would look like an accident. The foot tapping sped up momentarily before a mech sent him a weird look. Prime ceased the tapping and instead, started shifting his weight nervously from pede to pede. A nearby group of three femmes giggled before shoving forward an off-white femme with blue optics.

"No," the white femme protested, but her black and pink friends only giggled and motioned her to move forward. The femme looked forward, and squeaked when her optics met Prime's. "H-hi."

"Hello," Prime replied evenly, straightening up proudly like he had been taught by his tutors. The white femme's cooling fans switched on as she stared at Prime for a few seconds.

"I-I…um," she stuttered out, looking terribly embarrassed and nervous. She glanced back at her friends, her expression desperate, before looking back at Prime with a nervous smile. "Hi," she repeated, obviously at a loss for what to say to a noble prime. Optimus, for his part, found her amusing and rather adorable.

"I believe we've already exchanged greetings; however, I am more than happy to start again. Good cycle. My designation is Optimus Prime."

And she offlined.

"Primus!" Optimus exclaimed as he lunged forward to catch her. In the background, the two femmes were laughing loudly at the other femme's misfortune as they moved to the Prime's side.

"S-sorry," the black one choked out between laughs. "We didn't think she'd faint!"

"I would hope not," Prime mumbled as he knelt down so that the femme was half-way lying down, yet still supported by his armored arms.

"Whitelight isn't normally this shy! She talks to mechs all the time!" the pink femme blurted out suddenly.

"Yeah. I bet if you talked to her when she wasn't so crowded, she'd be fine," the black one added, despite the fact that there were only four other passengers in the Metro car. Prime frowned at her. Did these femmes honestly think he was interested? He had only just discovered his mate's death a vorn ago. His bond with Elita had been strained so much that his spark had simply let go of the bond, but to hear of her death had still sent him into a brief depression. At times, when he was alone at his housing unit and had nothing to do, his processor would go back to the last time he saw her before his trip to Earth to recover the Allspark. She was beautiful, despite the scratches and scuffs in her armor.

Then his spark would reach out for its match, which was no longer there. The pain of loss was excruciating. The knowledge that he would never see her again made his spark sputter in his chassis. Then, like always, he would sink into depression and make good use of that high-grade stash he had in the back of the cleaning closet.

Optimus grimaced at his dark processes and returned his mind to the current problem.

"Is there a mech waiting for you at the Metro Exit Area?" Optimus questioned. The pink femme nodded quickly.

"Yes, White's older brother," she claimed, eying Optimus as she did.

"Good. Then she will have safe transport back to her housing unit."

"Wait!"

"No!" The simultaneous cries of the two conscious femmes gained the attention of all the other bots in the car. The black femme vented uncomfortably as she began again.

"Shouldn't you go, too? You know, just in case a Decepticon attacks?" she asked in a false innocent tone. Prime scowled slightly.

"We are no longer at war, and there have not _been_ any Decepticon attacks since the peace treaty," he stated hotly. He watched as the two femmes widened their optics.

"You haven't heard? You're the prime, and you don't know about the attacks?" the black femme exclaimed.

"What attacks?" Optimus questioned, quite fed up with these two.

"In lower end Praxus. Ex-Decepticons have been attacking any ex-Autobots they come into contact with during the lunar cycles," the pink femme answered. She leaned in conspiratorially. "As rumor has it, they're rebuilding their army. They don't think they're getting enough power in the government, so they're going to restart the Great Wars."

"Yeah. If you look in the missing bot section of the _Cybertronian Times_, you'll see that all the missing femmes were last seen in lower Praxus. In the obituaries, most of the offlined cusks of the mechs were found in those alleyways."

"This is distressing news, indeed," Prime mumbled to himself.

"Yes, so you see why her she would need the extra attention. I mean, guard-wise!" the black femme fumbled. Prime scowled.

"As we are going to upper Iacon, not lower Praxus, I believe her brother can make due," Optimus stated as the Metro slowed. He easily lifted the offlined femme into his arms bridal-style, and the two femmes trailed after him as he gracefully strode from the Metro.

"Whitelight!" a distinctly mech voice called out. Prime paused in his movement and looked to his right, where the voice had originated from. The mech was completely black, aside from his red optics, and his attention was focused solely on the femme in Prime's arms. "Optimus Prime," the mech greeted, his voice border-line disrespectful.

"Yes, I am he. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Blackshadow," the mech stated. "Whitelight is my twin."

"As I could see. Then you won't mind taking her off my hands," Optimus replied briskly. He still had a cybercat to tend to. Blackshadow didn't hesitate in yanking his sister into his arms. Without a word, he turned and stalked away. There was a beat of silence before the black femme spoke up.

"Well, how about that!" she hissed. "Not so much as a 'thank you'!"

"I know! What a jerk!" the pink femme agreed. Prime turned to look at them.

"Unfortunately, that is how most ex-Decepticons are going to treat the leader of the Autobots." With that, Optimus turned and walked away.

* * *

><p>I was back to reading when I heard the door open. My ears perked, trying to pick up the sound of Prime's heavy footsteps, even as my optics stayed trained on the life-story of Sunstreaker, a more modern artist that became famous just before the start of the war. Sunstreaker was rather anti-social, along with being very busy, so his brother had been the one interviewed for this documentary.<p>

Sunstreaker had been born with a split-spark twin and had been rich his entire life. Raised in Tyger Pax, his family had it all. That is, they had it all until their creators offlined. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were tossed into a sea of uncertainty and fear as they were sent from foster home to foster home. Sideswipe, of course, took charge one day and talked his brother into running away. They stole and scavenged until, one cycle, a mech found them. The mech saw the beauty in Sideswipe's frame and decided to allow him to be a model. The twins became famous for their modeling, being one of four split-spark twins. Then, Sunstreaker had started painting. After his paintings became famous, he started sculpting.

Unfortunately, that was where I stopped, because the next second, a heard a surprised gasp from just in front of me. I looked up, and my jaw dropped. Prime was staring down at me with a similar expression.

Busted.

"Are you… _reading_?" Prime asked. My tail twitched. How was I supposed to answer that?

"Meow?" Suddenly, my lack of communication skills was a positive. I watched as Prime slowly walked over to where I was laying. I felt the tingle of a low-grade scan rush through my body.

"You are reading, and you're not hungry…" Optimus groaned as he leaned against one of the datapad shelves. "Primus, I'm going insane." I gave him a pity-filled look before returning to my datapad. "Are you being _sarcastic_?"

I flicked my tail of him.

"Primus! My _cat_ is being _sarcastic_! Prowl would have glitched by now. Pit, I should be glitching right now!" Optimus exclaimed. I vented and hopped to my pedes, knowing that I was no longer going to get any silence. I trotted to Prime's side and sat down by his foot. Optimus' optics didn't leave me for a second. "Of all the cats I could have picked out, Jazz _would_ choose the one that seems sentient."

"Click whir meow_." He does seem that type. _Like Jazz, though, Prime didn't speak cybercat.

"Primus. Can you understand me?" Optimus questioned, squatting down closer to me.

"Mrow. Meow click buzz whir?"_ Dunno. How about you tell me?_

"Maybe I just need some undisturbed recharge…" Prime said, sounding unsure. "Yeah. Some recharge." He stood and walked in what appeared to be a semi-dazed state across the hall to his berth room. I saw him collapse on his berth and trotted in after him. A single glance told me he was already offline. I cocked my helm, but decided to leave him alone. He needed the rest, and besides, now I could finally read that datapad.

* * *

><p>"So, you haven't found anything."<p>

"We've searched all the streets, and we've found no trace of her."

Ratchet frowned as he looked down at the sky blue femme. He had spent the last three cycles repairing the damage to the femme's body. Her frame was completely repaired, but without her spark, his repairs would be in vain. In addition to that, he wasn't sure how long a cybercat's protoform could support an adult femme spark. The medic looked back at the enforcers standing before him and the well-known twins behind those two. Prowl frowned, knowing his answer had brought more stress on the former CMO.

"I'm sorry, Ratchet, but given the population of this area combined with the size of Moonstrike's current protoform, the chances of finding her with only four bots searching are only point four percent," Prowl claimed. Nightwatch, a fellow enforcer who had somehow survived as a neutral, shuffled when Ratchet's wary gaze changed into a glare.

"Moonstrike is not a percent, Prowl. Any bot that finds her on the street will turn her over to a pet shop, so that's where you need to start your search. Sideswipe-" The red bot stood to attention, his twin giving Ratchet a wary look as the medic continued. "-will take you to the last place he saw her. You can search the shops closest to that area first."

"I understand your concern, Ratchet, but you shouldn't get your hope up. There's a minimal chance of us ever seeing her again," Prowl admonished.

"I know that, but we must try. This is our fault, after all, and I fear she is probably lying in an alley somewhere, cold and starving. We must work hard for her."

"Of course. We will begin our search. 'Till all are one," Prowl replied. Ratchet smiled at the old farewell.

"Til all are one."

* * *

><p>Had t' check up on Prowler and the Hatchet. Don'cha love Sides' version of their past? Notice he conveniently left out his past in the gladiatorial pits? Everyone review!<p>

**Autobot Bre:** Glad I can keep ya interested. :)


	7. Walk in the Park

Sorry the update took so long. For those of you who reviewed an received no reply, I must apologize. My e-mail went down, so I missed quite a few of the review replies. Sorry. And I must apologize for how late this was. I haven't even touched my laptop for anything other than writing reports and creative writing in two weeks. This week is term tests, so I actually won't be touching it again until this weekend.

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

Walk in the Park

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><p>Optimus groaned as he onlined. He had had the strangest recharge projection. The projection had consisted of his cybercat suddenly learning to read and developing a sarcastic personality. He slowly sat up in his berth, his optics dim and his systems sluggish. Primus, he was so tired.<p>

"Freedom?" he called out as he looked around for his pet. She wasn't in her little bed. He grunted as he got to his feet, checking his internal comms as he exited his room. Two from Jazz, one from Thundercracker, one from Soundwave, two from Mirage, and twenty-four from Ironhide. He moved through his housing unit as he listened to the ones from his colleagues. The meeting yesterday had been a complete failure. Without Prime there to keep them on topic, the delegates quickly lowered to the level of throwing insults and curse words. Ironhide's comms only contained long strings of angry curse words along with threats of pain and suffering for abandoning him. Jazz simply bragged about the awesome time he was having with Blaster.

"Freedom," Prime called out again as he peeked into the library, feeling more than just a little wary. His optics widened at the scene before him. The golden cybercat was curled up next to an online datapad on the history of the First Great War. Next to that one was an offlined datapad containing information on famous artists, and beside that one a pad on the original thirteen primes. His optics offlined, then rebooted them.

Nope. The scene wasn't any different.

"Primus. This isn't possible," Optimus mumbled as he approached the snoozing cat. "Freedom, how can you do this?" he muttered as he lifted the limp cat up. He frowned as she stirred in his grasp, and blue optics onlined to connect with his.

* * *

><p>I had read so much during the first lunar cycle. Who would have thought the history of art and the First Great War would have been so interesting? I had been halfway through the datapad on the Great War when I guess I slipped into recharge. Pity. I never got to the pad about the primes. I looked up at my master and let out a mew.<p>

"This isn't possible," he informed me. I clicked as I rolled my optics. Didn't he say that the solar cycle before? Multiple times? I wriggled in his grip, and he sighed before setting me back down. "So if it wasn't a recharge projection, how did you get a personality?"

"Meow," I replied, not really feeling like upholding a one-sided conversation.

"Hmm. Well, let's get some energon, then maybe I can take you outside," Optimus stated as he made his way to the library exit. I happily trotted after him. He was actually gonna take me outside? I silently wondered if he was going to put me back in that ridiculous cage. I grimaced as he poured the energon from the dispenser. I think I'd rather have a leash. I watched as he poured the energon and sat a small cube down in front of me.

"Maybe I'm just working too much," Optimus mumbled as he sipped his morning energon. I looked up at him and shrugged before returning to my breakfast. I wasn't sure how he was wanting me to reply. I was half-way positive he was waiting for me to suddenly start spouting Cybertronian, but it wasn't going to happen. My vocal synthesizers weren't made for those sounds. If I were still in my real body, I would love to have a spark-to-spark with the prime. He seemed to need my advice, but who could know what those maniacs had done with my protoform?

My optics dimmed as my thoughts and mood went south. Who could know, indeed. I didn't know much about science, but I _did_ know that a Cybertronian's spark was way stronger than a cybercat's spark, so this spark chamber _couldn't_ be strong enough for my spark. How long before my spark suffocated? How long before the cat's body ran itself dead, overcompensating for the extra power released by the spark? Would I lose my processor first? Would it be painful, or would it be quick? I stepped away from the energon, suddenly fighting the urge to purge. This wasn't how I wanted to meet Primus.

"Freedom?" His voice penetrated my thoughts, and there was a gush of air as he sat down beside me. "Are you not hungry?" I looked up at him, then down at the energon before me. My appetite was now gone, and besides, I had refueled a few breems before he had come home. I didn't need the fuel. I vented softly and trotted over to where he was sitting. His back was leaning against the bottom of the couch, and his legs were stretched out in front of him. As I sat by his side, his hand automatically rose to stroke my helm. A throaty purr rose from my vocal processor, and Prime chuckled as he lifted me up into his lap with his one free hand as he drank his energon with the other.

"I will admit that you are rather cute," he stated with a smile. I grinned internally, as my muzzle plates weren't flexible enough to make the expression externally. "Let's get you some fresh air. Maybe it will clear my processor."

He stood with me still in his hand and deposited the empty cube in a recycle chute. My optics widened as he deliberately kicked the rest of my energon over, and I snorted when he stepped back to allow the cleaning drones to take care of the mess.

"I'm so glad I purchased those," he remarked as he walked into his office. He glanced at the stack of datapads on his desk and simply took the top two. They went into subspace, and a dark blue leash replaced them in his hand. The leash was clipped onto my scruff bar, and Prime set me on my pedes and started walking forward. I gave a click of annoyance as I rushed forward to keep from getting dragged along. He opened the front door, and fresh air assaulted me. I meowed happily as I trotted out into the Cybertronian air. Prime chuckled as he closed the door behind us.

Walking with Prime was definitely an enlightening experience. I never really knew how much attention he got in public. The ex-Autobots that he passed gave him looks of awe, or looks of respect, and all the looks were usually followed by a respectful nod. Occasionally, the bot walking past us would look down at me in confusion, but that confusion was immediately washed away to make room for amusement. We were moving past the Metro Exit Area when a few girlish voices suddenly called out Prime's name.

"Optimus! It's good to see you again," a pink femme exclaimed with a bright smile.

"Yes. What are the chances of meeting _you_ her again?" the black femme beside her asked with a giggle. I looked up at Optimus, silently wondering who these two femmes were and what they were to him.

"I'm afraid I do not know," Optimus said flatly. Ah. They were admirers of the fair prime. I snorted. Good luck, ladies. Unfortunately, my snort garnered attention.

"Oh, my Primus! He's so cute!" the pink femme suddenly squealed. I yelped when I was suddenly scooped from the ground by small pink servos. The black femme moved closer to the pink femme's side and cooed down at me.

"You're right, Rose Rain!" the black femme exclaimed. "What's his designation?" Prime looked like he wanted to yank me from Rose rain's servos and make a run for it.

"_Her_ name is Freedom," he said after a moment of silent deliberation. His normally dormant battle computer suddenly whirred to life, coming up with different solutions to the situation he was suddenly in. The two femmes giggled in that annoyingly feminine manner.

"My, my, Optimus Prime! Already rooming with a femme again?" the black femme teased. Optimus frowned, trying to fight back the pain their statement had brought up. The femmes grinned at him, waiting for his reply, then their attention suddenly shifted to something behind him, and their faces fell.

"Statement: unnecessary. Suggestion: return cybercat to proper owner," a deep voice said flatly. "Cybertronian Common Etiquette Handbook, page one hundred eighty-two, paragraph sixteen: it is rude to handle another's belongings without permission."

"S-Soundwave," the black femme whispered, feeling rather intimidated by the large mech.

"Designation: well-known. Order: return cybercat to proper owner," Soundwave repeated. Rose Rain jumped and promptly dropped me sixteen feet toward the ground. Optimus lunged forward to catch me, and did Rose Rain when she realized what she had accidentally done. I landed on Rose Rain's servo, and I didn't waste a klik. My sharp claws dug into the delicate wiring under her barely plated palm. She let out a pained shriek and shook her hand in an attempt to remove me. Instead of releasing her, though, I tightened my hold, growling lowly as I did. The movement suddenly stopped, and it took me a few kliks to figure out why.

Soundwave had grabbed her wrist. I looked up at the ginormous plum-colored mech who was looming over us. His crimson visor hid an emotion his optics could possibly give away, and his facemask was still fixed in place, despite the war's end. I ducked down on the palm that I was currently clawing when I saw his free hand move toward my head. I was shocked when I felt gentle servos rubbing a sensitive spot behind my audio receptors. I my optics offlined, and I let out a low purr. My claws retracted as I slid into a lethargic state. That gentle hand stopped its ministrations, and another joined it in lifting me up. My optics came back online, and I stared up at Soundwave as he held me close to his chassis.

"Prime: your presence is required. Suggestion: we take our business elsewhere," Soundwave declared. Prime nodded, casting the two femmes a sideways glance.

"Come, Soundwave. We can speak in the new Garden Preservation Area. I have been wanting to visit that," Optimus replied. Without a backward glance at the two glaring femmes, Soundwave handed me over to Prime and started walking away. Optimus followed him as he resituated me in his servos. There was no conversation between the two mechs as they approached the huge glass domed structure. Prime's digits kept steady circular motions on my helm, something that I loved. It was so relaxing. Optimus chuckled as he walked into the enormous glass dome. Organic plant life filled the area. Trees, flowers, and grass covered the ground, and dirt paths gave bots a sense of where to go in the oversized greenhouse. Optimus stopped beside Soundwave when the mech stopped.

"Now, what is it you need to discuss with me?" Optimus asked.

"Situation with delegates: changed. War: becoming inevitable."

* * *

><p><strong>Mrowlina:<strong> Oh, don't die. Not for this story. Here's an update to keep you alive.

**M.L.M.: **O.O You'll die, too? Primus, I didn't know my story was supporting so many innocent lives! XD Wish I had a twin, though. :/

**KandyCaneLuver:** Imma be blunt with this, because when that ultimatum was given, it felt much like a slap in the face. I thank you for your compliment. However, I'm sorry, because I don't have the time to update this every week. I simply don't. In fact, when I first published this story, I _knew_ I wouldn't be able to. If you look at the third sentence in the first author's note in this story, I state that this is only a side-story. I have three other stories going, and I'm not gonna just focus on this one. I can't. On top of that, I'm currently dealing with planning senior stuff, being cheer captain, and term finals. Not to mention homeschooling my little sister. I simply don't have the time. Assuming that I do, and expecting me to update all the time is extremely unfair to me. You're holding me to standards I cannot keep. So, I'm sorry if this makes you not want to read my stories. I'll tell you this: I will not give up on a story, and if I do, the readers will be informed. If I hadn't already promised one of my other fans to have it out by Wednesday, I wouldn't even be publishing it today. I wanted to further develop Soundwave and Prime's conversation. I couldn't, though. So thank you for your praises and informing that you liked my story, and once again, I apologize, but my life doesn't center around . My schedule won't allow it. :( My apologies.


	8. Old and New Friends

Here's your chapter, folks! Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Old And New Friends

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Another war was starting? My optics went wide as I stared at the two mechs before me. How could another war be starting when everything in Iacon was so peaceful? True, the lower levels were a bit dodgy, but they had always been that way. There was always going to be crime, right?<p>

But a war? How did one hide a growing war? Even when Megatron started the second Great War, regular bots saw the signs of it. The unrest was obvious to normal bots. It was the higher-ups that never had any interaction with everyday folk that didn't see it coming.

"What do you mean, Soundwave?" Optimus asked, his voice tight. Soundwave's visor flashed.

"Delegates: worried about past energy crisis. Source of problem: working strike among building bots."

"Working strike? When did the building bots go on strike?" Optimus inquired, his optic ridges furrowing together.

"Strike: initiated exactly one point three eight four (1.384) joors ago," Soundwave replied automatically. Prime frowned, his optics moving to stare at the ground by his foot as he thought. "Strikers desire better benefits," Soundwave offered suddenly, that monotone voice breaking the momentary silence.

"What more can we give them? The Senate cannot give them anymore credits, and they already receive free trips to the clinics," Optimus stated.

"Strikers request free energon." Optimus slumped in the bench with a groan.

"No," he said simply. "It's not possible. This not a negotiation. If they refuse to work, find different mechs that will."

"Solution: ineffective. Cybertronians: accustomed to receiving free energon while serving in the army."

"That is irrelevant. We cannot simply _give away_ energon. A mech must work for what he receives. Our economy will crumble if we simply give these mechs everything rather than making them pay. Primus, the medical clinics are beginning to suffer as it is," Optimus stated.

"Statement: true. Public response to statement: war," Soundwave replied, feeling pity for his leader. There were times when Soundwave hated having to play devil's advocate, but the fact of the matter was these mechs weren't going to work quietly for something they had received for free for the past three thousand vorns.

"How can I maintain peace if these mechs refuse to cooperate?" Optimus asked on a sigh. I frowned at how utterly exhausted the Prime sounded. So much rested on his shoulders. I mewled gently and nudged the hand I was sitting on. Prime still hand me held up against his chassis, and I could hear his steadily thrumming spark. I nuzzled my helm against the thick armor there, trying to give him comfort in the only way I could. I couldn't give him kind words, and I couldn't assure him that all would work out. I had never expected to hear the Prime, a mech who was widely respected and had survived a terrible war against his own brother, sound so defeated. Optimus looked down at me and smiled gently.

"Well, here's one femme I can be sure will work with me," he murmured.

"Inquiry: what is cybercat's designation?" Soundwave asked suddenly. Optimus looked at the ex-Decepticon.

"Her name is Freedom," he replied with a wry grin. Soundwave let out a strange, monotone chuckle that thoroughly creeped me out.

"Designation: ironic. Cybercat: keen to emotions," Soundwave said. He raised his right hand to his right shoulder. "Ravage: eject." His chest plate shifted apart from a hidden seam, and I watched in fascination as a rectangular metal box shot out from it. As it flew, the box started a transformation of its own. It took the form of a cybercat that was much larger and appeared to be _much_ deadlier than me. Chrome metal plates covered its body, and spikes rose from its swishing tail. Twin plasma pellet rifles were mounted on its hindquarters, and sharp teeth were bared in its mouthplates. A single red optic stared up at us.

There wasn't a doubt in my mind. I was about to meet Ravage, a well-known, extremely deadly spy and assassin. I had been told tales of his strength and speed. I had heard stories of his merciless killings. I watched in trepidation as he padded over to his master. A series of purrs and whirrs rose from his vocal processor, and I froze.

I could understand him. _I_ could _understand_ him!

"**My master**," Ravage purred in a deep, growling voice. He rose up on his rear legs and placed his front paws on Soundwave's knee joint.

"Mission: entertain cybercat," Soundwave ordered. I yowled in protest when Optimus set me on the ground and removed my leash. I looked up at my master with pleading optics. Why would he leave me with this merciless killer?

"Keep her nearby, please," Optimus requested. I squeaked when I felt jaws clamp around my scruff bar. On instinct, my frame curled up to keep from skimming the floor as whatever older cybercat was holding me walked (despite the fact that there was still at least a foot between my hind paws and the floor when I was stretched out). I heard Optimus chuckle. "Ravage would make a remarkable opiluk," the Prime commented as said cybercat trotted away from them with me in his powerful jaws.

"Care for cyberkittens: instinct," Soundwave said with a shrug.

"**Hey! Lemme go!**" I hissed. Ravage chuckled as he moved, a strident sound that made me want to curl into myself even more. Primus, were _all_ of Soundwave's famed cassettes creepy? Ravage plopped down on the dirt ground and settled me in between his large (compared to me) paws. I squirmed, trying to get free from his jaws, and he let out another chuckle when he finally let me loose. I shot to my feet and turned to rush from the prison his front legs made. However, he raised one paw and easily scooped me up, resettling me closer to his chassis. I gave an irritated whine, but ceased my struggle.

"**There. That's more comfortable, isn't it**?" Ravage purred as he nuzzled my helm with his own. I couldn't deny that it was kinda comfortable. A low purr rose from my own vocal processor as I cuddled into the warmth that his sentient spark gave.

"**Femmes aren't supposed to act like this,**" I murmured in my cybercat language.

"**What do you mean, little one?**" Ravage asked, still nuzzling my helm.

"**I'm a femme. A real Cybertronian femme with a spark and everything,**" I replied. Ravage stopped and looked down at me.

"**Explain,**" he ordered simply.

"**I got attacked by ex-Decepticons who didn't like Optimus.**" I pause when Ravage let out a low growl, thinking that he didn't like Optimus, either. He was, after all, an ex-'Con as well.

"**Those fraggers need to learn how to let an ended war stay finished,**" he muttered. "**Continue.**"

"**Well, I almost offlined, and Prowl saved me. He said he was taking me to a medic, but when I onlined from stasis, I was in a cybercat's body, my real femme's body was lying on a table, and the other mech was talking about doing tests on me.**"

"**Interesting tale,**" Ravage mumbled after a moment of silence. I snorted as I curled up in the protective warmth of his armored chest. "**My master will be able to further investigate.**" My helm popped up.

"**You'd **_**do**_** that for me?**" I asked, wide-opticed. Ravage smiled as he nuzzled my helm again.

"**I am no longer a Decepticon, and right now, you are a sparkling of my kind. Do not do anything suspicious, though. My master will investigate when he is able,**" Ravage replied. I clicked happily. Having Soundwave and Ravage on my side would seriously help my case. "**Now, why don't you relax while our masters talk?**" I chirped at him as I settled down into a light doze.

* * *

><p>"Awwwww!" I jolted awake to the sound of a high-pitched femme and Ravage's low growls.<p>

"Streamshot, leave the cats alone," a mech voice snapped. My optics focused, and unadulterated joy filled my spark. The blue-opticed femme looked somewhere between irritated and depressed. She was rather short, being only fourteen feet tall, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in personality. I easily recognized the femme's light teal armor, and I wanted nothing more than to leap from Ravage's claws in order to tackle her in excitement.

"Rip-Rage, don't boss me around," Streamshot replied hotly. "Slagger," she added under her breath.

"I heard that!" Rip-Rage replied. I couldn't see Rip-Rage past Ravage's head, but I knew what I would see if I could. Burnt orange armor with black and white accents. He would stand about eighteen feet tall, still not as tall as I was in my real body. Streamshot and Rip-Rage didn't get along very well, but then again, very few siblings got along perfectly? "Stream, let's go. We're not here to stare at the wildlife. We're here to finish putting up announcement pads for Xenon."

My opiluk. They were putting up announcement pads for my opiluk. My spark stuttered painfully. He must be so worried. Ravage, picking up on my distress, purred lowly and nuzzled my helm.

"But they're so _cute_!" Streamshot squealed. She moved a little closer to us, ignoring Ravage's warning growls, and she knelt down a few feet away. "I've never seen a red-opticed cybercat. Or a blue-opticed one for that matter."

"That's because they are very unique." Optimus' voice came out of nowhere, and I jolted a little, which was less than poor Streamshot did. The teal femme squealed in surprise at the voice that came from behind her, and she jumped back at least seven feet in surprise.

"Optimus Prime, sir!" she squeaked, going rigid as she stood. Optimus, for his part, chuckled lightly at my best friend.

"Yes, that is who I am. The blue-opticed cyberkitten is mine. Ravage, however, is not," Optimus replied easily. Streamshot's faceplates seemed to lose more color as she looked back over at the black cybercat that was currently standing guard over me.

"That's _Ravage_?" Streamshot asked.

"Inquiry: redundant. Optimus Prime: not a liar." Soundwave's voice made poor Streamshot jumped again, and she scuttled away from the mech who had shrode up to stand beside her.

"O-Of course! I would never call him a liar! I just didn't expect to see Ravage in a place like this," Streamshot said uneasily. Soundwave nodded.

"Incredulity: understandable."

"Look, I'm really sorry that my sister disturbed you two. We were just leaving to put these up, anyways," Rip-Rage said suddenly, moving into my line of sight to grab his sister's arm.

"Announcement pads? What is your reason for posting them?" Optimus asked, sounding genuinely curious. Rip-Rage shrugged as he held out one of the pads. I squeaked when jaws closed around my scruff bar again. Ravage easily lifted me off the ground as he stood, and he trotted back to his master's side. Soundwave patted Ravage's helm as he scrolled through the announcement pad that he had taken from Streamshot.

"One of our friends went missing four solar cycles ago. She was left for a party in lower Iacon. Our sources told us she made it there, but she never came back to her housing unit. We have Enforcers searching lower Iacon right now, but we're doing all we can. Her opiluk, Xenon, is posting 'missing bot' alerts on all active public comms, but we decided to post these wherever we could," Rip-Rage explained. I frowned at how dejected his voice sounded.

"Her name is Moonstrike, if you see her," Streamshot added quietly.

"She's a pretty femme," Optimus noted with a small smile. I didn't miss Rip-Rage's dark glare that was sent to the Prime as he spoke. "I will alert the Enforcers in nearby city-states, in case they find her," Prime added.

"Thank you, sir," Streamshot said, returning the smile. She looked down at me. "What is the cat's name?"

"Freedom," Optimus replied.

"Well, goodbye, Freedom. I hope to see you again. Goodbye, Ravage."

"Good, now let's go. We need to get these out _before_ the sun sets," Rip-Rage hurried. Streamshot rolled her optics, but obeyed her older brother.

"A missing femme already. Sad state of affairs," Prime commented, his smile disappearing as he subspaced the announcement pad.

"Indeed. Our business: concluded. Thank you for your time," Soundwave said flatly. Optimus nodded as he knelt down in front of Ravage. He clipped the leash back onto my scruff bar, and Ravage gently placed me on the ground.

"**I will speak with Soundwave,**" Ravage promised in our tongue. I cocked my head.

"**Can't he just read my thoughts?**" I questioned.

"**Soundwave doesn't make a habit of reading the minds of cybercats. Most are not sentient,**" Ravage replied.

"Ravage: return," Soundwave ordered in a flat voice. Ravage gave me one last affectionate nudge before he leapt towards his master, transforming into his box mode as he did. He flew into Soundwave's cassette deck, and I watched as Soundwave's chest armor transformed back together. "Farewell."

"You as well," Optimus replied. Soundwave nodded once, and he walked away. I looked up at Optimus as he looked down at me. "Well, I suppose we should return to our housing unit. I have work that must be completed." I shrugged once and trotted forward, working once again to keep pace with his ginormous strides.

* * *

><p>Prowl and Nightwatch frowned as they approached the last pet shop they had time for. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker had been summoned to a galleria, thank Primus, so they were no longer with the extremely irritated Enforcers. The four had spent all solar cycle searching through pet shops and reading sale records before the twins had been called away. Nothing had come up so far, and if this pet shop didn't have anything, the two Enforcers would start again next solar cycle. Both of them had patrol first lunar cycle, so they wouldn't be able to search anymore. A cheerful <em>ding<em> greeted them as they opened the door to one of Iacon's finest and most expensive pet shops.

"Welcome to Iacon's Favorite Companions!" a femme chirped from her position by the petro-hounds. Prowl and Nightwatch didn't wait by the door. The Enforcers weaved through the cleverly displayed cages toward the blue femme, friendly smiles on their faceplates.

"Good joor," Prowl greeted.

"Good joor. What brings two Enforcers to my wonderful shop?" the femme questioned with a welcoming smile.

"Three solar cycles ago, a blue-opticed cyberkitten was lost. The kitten had a spark, and we believe she was brought here. You wouldn't happen to have had a blue-opticed cyberkitten brought by in the last three solar cycles, have you?" Prowl asked evenly. The femme frowned.

"Three cycles ago? Hmm… my logs say Hydro was working. There were three cybercats sold in the last three cycles. Hydro is working next solar cycle, so if you come back then, she can give you the information you want," the femme stated.

"Thank you," Prowl said with a grateful sigh. He gave Nightwatch a single nod, and the two Enforcers left the shop. "Meet me back here in three joors."

"Yes, sir, Prowl," Nightwatch replied. He gave a single salute before turning and leaving to go to his station. Prowl sent a datapacket to Ratchet with the information they found. Maybe it'd be enough to sooth the medic's guilt. Ratchet had enough guilt from the war. He didn't need any extra now.

* * *

><p><strong>Animechick113:<strong> Thanks for the compliment. :)

**Standout4Christ:** Thanks for the encouragement. Yeah, life is slowing down this week, though, so my updates will be more often. I hope.

**Raining Ink:** Thank you for the review and for your compliment. I agree with you completely, but I think they just wanted to insure that I wasn't abandoning it. Emotions and stuff don't carry well over text. :(

**Noella50881:** Thank you. I'm going to try to speed up my updates. It's Fall Break for me, so they should be pretty quick, if I don't get writer's block. :)

**FireheartNinja:** Aw, thanks. I kinda bounced in place when I read those first few sentences. I've always been that way with other writers. Never thought someone would be that way with me. :D Now I feel special. =D Yes, senior year is kind of a drag. I'm getting ready to apply for colleges and takes tests and all that crap, so the stress is huge. I got this, though. Just gotta set my priorities.

**Random Reader:** Thank you! I kinda agree, but I simply couldn't poor Moonstrike in a petro-hound's body. I'm not that cruel. XD

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** I'm glad you will survive XD Yes, life is definitely taking up time, but I have Fall Break this week and a plan for the next chapter, so I hope to have this updated quite a bit this week.

**Rapidfeather:** My little sister adores your reviews. Soundwave is, indeed, epic. He doesn't even have to try, either. He's like Optimus, Sideswipe, and Megatron. He doesn't try to be epic. He just _is_. XD

**Jayna Prime:** Thanks for the review! I'm glad my story beings you joy. :3

**Hermonine:** Thanks :)

**Luna636:** Thanks. Yeah, knocking over energon seemed like something he would do when nobot else was around. *shrug*

**Bee-roxs98:** Yup. All politicians are alike. Sad day, right? I'm on Fall Break, so Imma try ta update as much as possible. I wanna get to the next arc.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Eh. She lived through one, she can survive another ;) JK. Prime's gonna try very, very hard to avoid war. I always forget to review, and I'm glad you like this enough to give me the feedback. :)

**Leonixon:** Yeah. Poor Optimus is having a bad day: Find out your cat is suddenly sentient, get assaulted by two fan-femmes, then find out you may have to fight in another war. Optimus needs a vacation. -.- Yes, Soundwave is a bit of a softie now. He has no real reason to be hardcore evil. He, like Prime, the Autobots, and many of the Decepticons, simply got tired of the pointless fighting. You find out more about that next chapter, though.

**TheHellIKnow:** XD Wow, I never thought this fic would have _that_ sort of reaction. I have a bird that _is_ rather sarcastic. And he likes flinging food onto my bed, the little slagger. Thanks for reading the author's note. :) The reviewer told me that they simply said it because they thought I was abandoning the story. :) Thanks for the reassurance, though. ;)

**Erin Primette:** Thanks :)

**Shadowolf27: **O.O Wow. I did read your story! I guess we're even, 'cuz when you added my story, I didn't know that I had added yours. XD Glad you like it. I definitely try to keep it light and fluffy. It might be getting dark here soon as the tides turn toward war, but for now, it can be fluffed. :3 You will, indeed, see more of him. He is also one of my favorites, because I enjoy exploring his mysterious personality. I believe your pondering was answered this chapter, though. :)

**KandyCaneLuver:** And I definitely understand that. I honestly didn't consider it a flame. I see a flame as "Your story sucks, and you suck, too. Go die in a hole." Frankly, I like that you complimented my story. It's just that the ultimatum at the end is extremely offensive to a girl whose life is so packed up that she can't even pick up a computer to type a two thousand word chapter, and I understand that you don't know what's going on in my life. In honesty, I understand completely, because I've seen just as many good stories discontinued, but as I said, if I discontinue something, I will put in the description "discontinued". If you look at my list of published stories, you will find one of those. I could never leave my fans hanging like that. Too cruel. I thank you for following my story, and I'd suggest that next time, ya review with your username if you're gonna put something like that. I felt really bad that I had to put a reply to that on the author's note where everyone could see it, but I couldn't ignore it either. :( My apologies for that. Thank you, though, for following my stories. This week is Fall Break for me, so they'll get a lot of attention. :)

**MM the twins:** O.O Uhhhh… Thanks, cousin… You may wanna get Ratchet over here to look at M.L.M…. That had to hurt…

**Vivian Hale:** XD Ah, I saw whatcha did there with that pun. Clever, clever ;) Thanks for the compliments =)

**Sarasblackcolt:** Hmmm… Yeah, the mental image of Soundwave in a house filled with cats doesn't fit. Too tame.

**Gemava:** Yup, but that would destroy my plans. :)

**Supergirlprime:** It won't be long. Gotta have those two cross paths again. :) Assuming I let her become a full Cybertronian femme again.

**Katie Gibbs:** Yeah. War tends to happen to them too much. -.-

**JustHitTheMark:** Glad you like it. I'm wanting to get pretty far on this one this week, so I am definitely working on it. :)

**Diamond White: **Yeah, Moonstrike will definitely have problems with Ratchet when she officially meets him. Him, Sideswipe, Ironhide, and Jolt. XD I figured Soundwave would know how to handle her from vorns of dealing with Ravage. *shrug* It seemed like it'd make more sense than Prime sweeping in and knowing how to calm her down. Thank you for your review.

**AlexisOptimus:** Thank you for your compliment. Here's your requested update. :)


	9. Cuz Ya Have a Bad Day

Here's the deal: I'm having my 18th birthday party tonight, and I was planning on having this updated, like, two hours ago, and I literally have five minutes before I'm leaving the house. So here's my problems that y'all need to know:

1) I didn't proof-read this AT ALL, and it's super-duper long.

2) I didn't get around to replying to ANY reviews, but I figured y'all'd rather have an update than a review reply. I will go through my e-mail (which is finally working again) and reply to all reviews via PMs. If you put an anonymous review, I'm afraid you won't get a reply this time.

3)Be ye fore warned. The cliff-hanger is a doozer. Sorry. I won't be updating until this weekend, though, so all y'all hafta suffer for a few days. :)

4) It got down to eighty degrees today! I almost froze to death!(Cuz I know every single one of y'all wanted to know how close I was to death *nod nod*

* * *

><p>Chapter 9<p>

'Cuz ya have a bad day

* * *

><p>My optics lit up as I trotted into Prime's huge housing unit. Optimus stepped in behind me, closing and locking the front door as he did. I followed him into his office, where he took a seat and picked up a datapad.<p>

Really? We just got back, and _already_ he's working again? Primus, did this guy _know_ what rest was? Already, the solar cycle was ending. The first moon was rising on the horizon as the sun set. I rose to my pedes and trotted to Optimus's feet. I let out an obnoxiously loud _meow_ and waited as Optimus looked down at me.

"And just what are you wanting?" he asked with bright optics and a small smile.

"I want you to put that datatpad down, but we all know you won't do that without some sort of divine intervention," I said snappily. Sadly, Optimus didn't understand me. He did, however, wrap a hand around my stomach and lift me up. I was placed on my paws on the desk, and I realized that I could easily distract him now.

"Meow!" I grinned when he glanced at me, then scowled when he dismissed me for his datapad. I took three steps back before suddenly darting forward toward my master. I launched myself off the desk and landed on the Prime's chassis. Optimus started, then looked down at me.

"You know, I've noticed a pattern with you. I believe you only want my attention when I am trying to work on these datapads. The only times you have approached me have been when I am working," Optimus claimed, leaning back in his chair. I shrugged. "Ah, and the sarcasm returns." My optics flashed a little brighter in amusement. Poor Optimus had no _idea_ who he was messing with. If I live to become a femme again, I think we could possibly be friends. "How about this: I just need to finish reviewing this _one_ datapad, then I'll spend a breem with you, and then I need to get some good recharge. With tomorrow's meeting, I'm going to need as much recharge as I can get." I stared at Prime suspiciously for a few kliks. Finally, I decided he wasn't lying, so I jumped down from my perch. I landed shakily on my pedes, and I made my way out of the office towards the library.

I had a datapad on the first Great War to finish.

It didn't seem to take a long time for Prime to finish that datapad. I was nearing the last battle when Optimus walked in. He seemed to glitch momentarily when he laid optics on me, but I could tell the very moment he brushed the impossibility aside. Two of his long strides brought him to where I was on the ground.

"What are you reading this time?" he murmured. "The first Great War. Not quite something I'd imagine a femme cyberkitten to take interest in." He lifted me and the datapad up and made his way over to the one metal chair that stood near the door.

"I remember learning about this war a long time ago from Alpha Trion himself," Optimus claimed. My optics widened. He learned from _Alpha Trion_? "Oh, don't give me that look. Alpha Trion is a wise mech, and he taught me back before I received the title of Prime, back when I was still Orion Pax. Primus, those were marvelous times. Being a Prime didn't mean that you commanded a war or controlled the branches of power. A Prime headed up the scientific endeavors of Cybertron."

Though the Prime's words were meant for me, his optics stared at the distant bookcases. I couldn't help but think that he was reliving his past. I settled down in the crook of his arm and listened as he spoke.

"My mentor, Sentinel Prime, was the genius of our time, and he actually headed up the war for a few orns before… well, before he left the power to me. I had amazing 'bots on my scientific team. Perceptor, Wheeljack, Arcee, Elita-" I looked up at him when he suddenly broke off. His optics dimmed, and he slumped in the seat.

"Elita," he repeated on a sigh. He looked down at me, meeting my gaze. "She was my sparkmate," he told me. "We were so close, so in love. I told her to protect the Allspark, that it was the most important thing in this war. I left her, then and went to Simfur, where the biggest battle was taking place." He paused and looked up at the ceiling, optics dimmed.

"I can still remember the pain of her death. I can still remember the agony of our bond being ripped to shreds while her spark faded, all because I left her to fend for herself. It was all my fault, Freedom." His optics dimmed to gray.

No. It wasn't his fault. He couldn't have known. I let out a loud chirp to get his attention. Gray optics focused on me. Okay… now what? I blanked for a klik before letting my instincts take over. I nuzzled my helm into his chassis, a silent promise that everything was going to be alright. A purr rose from my vocal processor when Prime rose a hand and gently rubbed behind my audio receptor.

"What's the point of life anymore, Freedom? Elita is gone, my brother is dead, and all of Cybertron simply wants me to stand back so that they can control their own destinies. Maybe I should just let them have what they want. Maybe that will help things get better," Optimus murmured. I jerked back and looked up at him in horror. What kind of talk was this? I shook my head quickly, trying to give him my thoughts on those statements. His response was a sigh.

"Come, Freedom. For now, I need recharge. I will deal with these matters next solar cycle. I don't think I can handle them right now," he claimed, slowly rising to his feet. Ha placed the datapad back in its correct spot on the shelf, which caused me to growl in frustration. Now I'd have to go back through the trouble of getting it down to finish it. Optimus didn't hear my vocalization, though. He made his way into his berthroom and set me down on my pink cybercat bed. I hunkered down, curling my frame up. The tip of my tail curved defensively around my face, and I fell into recharge to the sounds of Prime's personal washrack, thinking that I'd need to find a way to get him out of this attitude soon. Thoughts like that never led to good places.

Prowl was there first. This really didn't surprise Nightwatch. The black and purple Enforcer was only a quarter breem late (roughly two minutes), yet Prowl was standing stationary beside the pet shop doors, effectively scaring away potential customers. Nightwatch had to fight a grin as he approached his partner.

"Prowl," he greeted.

"Nightwatch," was the even reply. "Let's get this over with," he tacked on as he led the way into the shop.

"Welcome to Iacon's Favorite Companions! Can I help you?" The cheery voice emanated from the section with the petro-hounds. Prowl and Nightwatch moved that way without hesitation.

"Yes, actually. We are looking for a femme by the name Hydro," Prowl stated. A seafoam green femme stepped out from behind the petro-hounds cages and smiled at the two Enforcers.

"Well, you've found her. What can I do for you?" Prowl allowed a small, satisfied smirk to grace his face.

"We're looking for a cyberkitten with blue optics. She was lost three cycles ago, and we have reason to believe she was brought here," he explained. The femme froze, and her optics brightened.

"Oh. _Oh_. I _do_ remember that cybercat…" She trailed off, rubbing her left arm. "She sold pretty quickly, being such a rarity."

"To whom?" Nightwatch broke in. Her optics met his, and he could see the extreme discomfort in her optics.

"Well… to ex-Lieutenant Jazz… and Optimus Prime…"

I sat comfortably on the top of my castle as Prime bustled around his office, sorting datapads and subspacing the ones he deemed necessary for the coming meeting. He had been at this for a good three breems, and he was just now preparing to leave. He gave my helm a single good-bye pat and exited the office. A klik later, I heard the front door open, then close and lock.

"Well," I purred to myself, "time to catch up on my reading." I grinned to myself as I trotted into the library, then I remembered where my current datapad was.

Slaggit.

Optimus moved easily through the crowds at the Metro entrance. Being this tall was definitely a perk, in his opinion. He could see where all the crowd breaks were, making his path to the Metro cars easier to navigate. He smiled as he stepped through the doors and made his way to the center of the Metro car. The extra recharge had certainly done him good, and he was more than ready to face the demonic delegates in the next meeting. A comm. ping caught his attention, and he grinned as he answered it.

**::Jazz! How are you this joor?::**

**::Fine, Prime, but you have problems.::** Optimus froze. The Metro car door closed, but Prime didn't even notice it. Jazz's voice lacked the carefree, fun-loving vibe it usually carried, and the lack of an accent made Prime's energon go cold. Whatever Jazz was worried about, it wasn't good. Optimus tuned out the noise in the Metro car as he continued his conversation.

**::What do you mean?::** Optimus prompted.

**::I overheard a few mechs talking. Prime, a group of delegates have started working together to try to outdo the others. I don't really know who the delegates are, but I **_**do**_** know that they were complete supporters of the war. The four bots who were talking said something about a resurrection and a 'bot that intends to make Cybertron how it's supposed to be: rulerless and completely free.::**

**::There is no such thing as-::**

**::I **_**know**_** that!:: **Jazz interrupted. **::But these idiots **_**don't**_**. Prime, I don't know where you are, but I suggest you keep your battle computer on at all times, and you keep all your important datapads in subspace. I doubt they mind breaking into your housing unit to get any information they want.::**

**::I understand. I have left nothing of import at my housing unit. I brought everything because of this meeting,::** Optimus replied confidently.

**::Good. Now, I gotta go. Got mo'e snoopin' ta do. Latuh.::** With that, Jazz dropped the link. Optimus frowned as he stepped off the Metro car and made his way into the Meeting Hall.

"Hey, Prime," Ironhide greeted as he fell into step beside him. Optimus sent the black mech a sideways look.

"Were you _watching_ for me?" Optimus asked. Ironhide shook his head.

"Nope." Ironhide offered nothing else, so Prime just shrugged it off as he moved into the meeting room to experience the first round of torture for the cycle.

The first warning, I will admit, I ignored. It was the sound of someone knocking on Prime's front door. In my neighborhood, I was accustomed to mechs knocking on the door and requesting help or a spare bit of energon or trying to sell us something. If someone like me got them, then someone with money, like Prime, must get them, too. So I studiously ignored the consistent knocking and returned to my datapad on Alpha Trion's contribution to the first Great War. What can I say? Prime inspired me to read it.

The second sign wasn't quite as easy to ignore. It was the sound of two mechs talking outside the door. I narrowed my optics suspiciously as I moved from the library and made my way up the hall.

"Because my sources _say_ he always answers his door. He's that kind of mech," a voice hissed, obviously continuing a conversation.

"And what are you planning on doing when the alarm tells him that someone's breaking in?" a higher mech voice muttered back.

"We'll be long gone by then, Blackshadow. You may be new to this business, but I'm not. We get in, get what we need, and leave," the first voice snapped. I moved into the office and huddled down on the floor next to the open office door, out of sight of any mech that walked in. The door hissed open, and I heard two sets of footsteps.

"This room," the first, deep voice directed. Two large mechs walked into the room, not even noticing me. The first one was tall with a bulky chassis. I could easily imagine him being an ex-Decepticon, beating his foes into submission. His armor was black and gray, and when he looked around, I could see that his optics, like the other mech's, were red.

The other mech, Blackshadow, was smaller built. I could tell that he was built for speed and stealth. He obviously was more new to this, though, than the bulky mech. His armor, if possible, was an even darker shade of black than the bigger mech's, and I realized that these two mechs were not only ex-Decepticons, but they were planning on stealing some of Prime's important datapads. My audio receptors flattened against my helm in fury.

They weren't stealing anything.

Not if _I_ had anything to say about it.

Prime was sitting, bored, in the first meeting when he received the break-in alert. The little yellow flashing warning popped up just behind his optics, and he was torn between exasperation and worry. Someone had broken into his apartment, and now, he had to go all the way to his housing unit to speak to the authorities. He was about to interrupt the speaking delegate when his comm. pinged.

Prowl? Why would Prowl be contacting him? He received the oddest sense of déjà vu, and he felt amusement when he realized that his first thought had been, '_I bet he's going to inform me that the twins are in the brig again.'_ Funny how old habits die hard.

**::This is Optimus Prime.::**

**::Good. Optimus, I understand you bought a cybercat with blue optics?::** Optimus blinked. Why would Prowl care about Freedom?

**::…Yes…::** Optimus replied slowly.

**::Very good. This is going to sound very strange, but that cat has a femme's spark in it, and Ratchet needs it in his clinic as soon as possible.::** Optimus was silent as his processors replayed what Prowl said. Freedom was an actual femme? Pieces started falling together, and he was surprised how much it made sense.

The reading. The sarcasm. The fact that she only approached him when he was overworking himself. The fact that she didn't starve. She must have known how to use the dispenser. The fact that she knew exactly when to comfort him.

**::My cat… is a femme…::** he repeated, sounding rather incredulous.

**::Yes, and her current body cannot support her spark. She needs to be returned to Ratchet so that he can transfer her spark back into her real frame.::**

**::Ah… and who is she **_**really**_**?::**

**::Her designation is Moonstrike.::** Ah. That made sense. Moonstrike had apparently gone missing a few solar cycles ago. How ironic that she was actually sitting safely in housing unit at the moment… as it was being… robbed…

**::Prowl, someone has broken into my housing unit. Report there and extinguish the threat. I will meet you at Ratchet's medbay in approximately three breems,::** Optimus ordered, his battle computer already coming back online as he slipped into the old role of Commander as if sliding back on a piece of old armor.

**::Yes, sir!::** Prowl replied on reflex and dropped the link. Optimus stood and turned to Ultra Magnus.

"My housing unit has just been broken into. Please adjourn until next solar cycle." The second his order/request was spoken, Optimus hurried from the room. The only thing he could think about was the femme who was probably huddled under his desk scared out of her processor because of the burglars in his apartment and how he had failed yet another femme by leaving them behind when he needed to be beside them.

I was pissed. No, I was beyond pissed. How dare they break into the Prime's housing unit! My spark thrummed hotly in my chassis as I watched them go through Prime's desk and contemplated what to do. I no longer had a battle computer, so I wasn't quite sure what my plan for attack would be. Should I just rush in, claws out and teeth bared? Should I sic the cleaning drones on them? Maybe I could rig the energon dispenser to spurt energon at them…

"I found it!" Blackshadow suddenly exclaimed, a dark grin on his faceplates.

"Good. If we know who controls how much energon, we can fix who gets how much," the bulky mech said lowly with a grin identical to his partner's. My time was gone, so I simply followed my instincts. I gave an angry yowl as I darted out of the shadows. Blackshadow gave a surprised yelp when I tackled his leg, claws easily digging into exposed wires. I held on tight as he started shaking his leg violently, trying to dislodge me.

"Get it off!" he snapped.

"Stay still, you sparkling," bulky mech hissed. Blackshadow froze, and bulky mech swatted at me. I quickly jumped up and latched onto the thick arm. "Frag!" Bulky muttered, shaking his arm much like Blackshadow had been shaking his leg. I focused solely on staying attached to his arm, so it's easy to understand why I didn't sense the coming hand until it was too late. Bulky's free servo clamped down on the back of my neck and squeezed.

"Lookie what we have here," Bulky murmured as he lifted me off his arm by my neck. "The Great Optimus Prime bought a killer cyberkitten."

"Little Pit spawn," Blackshadow mumbled. Both of them froze when the front door suddenly rushed open. "Let's get going!" Blackshadow snapped, though they knew they were caught. Prime's office had only one escape, and two Enforcers were standing in the way of that escape. Twin acid pellet guns were pointed at the two intruders, and I could now see that one of the mechs holding a pellet rifle was Prowl. I had mixed feelings on this. I was happy because he was a very skilled shot. I was worried because the last time he saved me, I woke up as a cybercat.

"Offline your battle computers and disarm your weapons," Prowl ordered. Bulky mech grinned.

"I don't obey anybot with a badge," he said in a smug voice. I felt movement then I was suddenly soaring through the air. I felt a flash of indignity when I realized that the mech had just thrown me. That flash was quickly replaced by horror, though, when I realized that my trajectory was leading me towards the side wall of Prime's office.

There was no mistaking the utter agony that washed through my small frame when I rebounded off that wall. My left optic immediately shattered, and I could hear and feel my frame collapse on itself. The pain-filled fall to the floor seemed to last joors, but I can remember the very klik I slammed back first into the metal ground. I was terror-stricken when I saw one of my legs fly away from my body on impact, but that emotion was swiftly covered by pain.

Oh, the _pain_. My vocalizer froze for a klik before I let out the most pitiful, pain-filled whine I had ever heard. I heard the sounds of rifles discharging, followed by two heavy thuds. Heavy footsteps sounded by my audio receptors, and I whimpered in pain.

"Primus, Moonstrike," a familiar deep voice muttered. I onlined my one good optic and stared at the black pede in front of my muzzle. "Nightwatch, comm. Ratchet. Tell him what happened. I am sending Barricade to help deal with these two miscreants. I need to get Moonstrike to Ratchet." I yowled in anguish when I felt hands moving me. Primus! Make the pain stop! It was everywhere! Every vent, every thrum of my spark sent new waves of it washing through my broken frame. No, stop moving me!

"I know, Moon. I know it hurts. Stay with me," Prowl coached. "Keep cycling air," he instructed as he rushed out of the housing unit. He reached the street and transformed around me. I felt my optics dimming as my body started heating up unnaturally. My spark was overheating my frame. My current frame couldn't deal with the damage and distribute the excess power at the same time. Primus…

Was I dying? My spark squeezed painfully in its chamber. How could I feel so cold when my frame was so hot? Why was it getting darker? Where was I going? Where was I at? Was I _moving_? When did I start moving? What… what am I…?

Who am I…? Maybe I'd remember after I recharged a bit. Yeah. I'll recharge a bit…

I smiled lightly as my processor went offline.

* * *

><p>Yeah. Y'all can throw your bricks now. :D I'm hanging with Megatron, and we all know that he takes joy in y'all's pain ;) Prime's too busy to hang with. :( His one good day and this happens. I'm dreadfully mean to him...<p>

Well, review!


	10. Guilt and Patience

Soooo... here are my random comments for the update:

1) How 'bout them Rangers! Tha's right! We goin' to the World Series! Woot woot!

2) The party was awesome. We went bowling, and I failed at it.

3) See how nice I am? Not leavin' all y'all hanging on that cliff for all weekend. I even updated by midnight. Well, it's almost midnight here...

4) Yeah, so I was watching the commercials while waiting for the Rangers game to come back on, and I thought rather randomly, 'OMG! I should name one of my characters Mary Sue, just to see what my readers say!' Yeah, just random. What would all y'all say if I did that (cuz I doubt I will)?

5) Because this needs to be mentioned. **Prime is not infatuated with Moonstrike right now**. He feels guilty, as you will find in this chapter. He's not in love with her yet. It's just like if you found out your pet dog/cat was actually a human. You wouldn't be in love with it. Right now, she's just his pet... Wow, that sounds so weird. Plus he's still getting over his sparkmate dying. He needs some time, guys. :) The emotions and the relationship will come, I swear it.

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

Guilt and Patience

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><p>"So let me get this right," Optimus began. He had arrived only a quarter breem ago, and already, his processor felt like it had been thrown underneath a cityformer's foot. His processor had actually glitched when he laid optics on Moonstrike's frame. It was <em>true<em>. His _cybercat_ was actually a femme stuck in a cybercat's frame. Then once he was back online, Ratchet had began explaining.

Now, he was fighting not to glitch again. At the moment, he was leaning against one of Ratchet's counters. His optics were offline as he pinched his noseplates between his pointer finger and his thumb in frustration.

"You transferred this femme's spark into the spark chamber of a cybercat?" Prime questioned, wondering if that was even legal.

"Yes, Prime," Ratchet replied as he puttered around the clinic's medbay. Any klik, Prowl would be coming with Freedom.

'_No, Moonstrike,'_ Prime mentally corrected himself. He had been having troubles separating the cat from the femme. Ratchet glanced over at him before moving past him to check on the offline body.

"It was either that or let her die. As it is, she still may die," Ratchet stated. The last part was mumbled, but Prime still heard it. His head shot up, and his optics zeroed in on Ratchet.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"Her spark is too strong for that body," the medic stated as he checked the body's vitals. His optics dimmed slightly, and his body went rigid. "Slaggin Decepticons!" Ratchet suddenly roared. Optimus jolted in surprise and deftly moved his helm backwards when a wrench went soaring past him. He looked over at Ratchet, optics wide. He was ignored, though, as Ratchet was far too absorbed in his rant about how 'Cons will always be 'Cons and will never change. He was hit with a strange sense of déjà vu. This rant was eerily similar to the one he had heard back when Sunstreaker was attacked by a Decepticon who had claimed to change sides.

"Prime," Ratchet snapped, dragging Optimus from his musing. The Prime looked at the medic and was shocked by how worried the ex-CMO looked. "I need you to wait in the lobby. This is more serious than we originally thought." Prime's optics brightened in worry. Before he could question Ratchet, though, Jolt walked into the bay and started ushering the larger mech out. Optimus frowned as he allowed the younger mech to lead him into the lobby.

"We'll keep you updated through your comm. link," Jolt promised him as he turned back toward the bay doors. Optimus nodded slowly as he slid into one of the metal seats, feeling his spark slow a little. First Aid had told him the exact thing when he had asked about Elita during her surgery. His optics shot to the lobby door when he heard it open, and his spark skipped a note in its rhythmic thrumming. Prowl rushed into the lobby and moved straight into the medbay. Prime only got a glance at the creature in his servos, but it was enough for him to ascertain what her condition was and how much pain she was most likely in.

And it made him want to purge.

The top of her helm was completely flat where she had made contact with a flat surface. Both of her cute audio receptors were gone, as was her front left leg. Both her hind legs were missing armor, and her front right leg was attached to her body by only three obstinate cables. Her tail was obviously broken, hanging from her frame loosely by a few cables and one strand of armor. The whole left side of her body was flat from some sort of impact as well. Prime dimmed his optics in guilt and pity. She must have been in so much pain, and all because he hadn't wanted to leave his meeting to go to his housing unit.

"They're moving her spark right now," a familiar voice stated. A bot sat down beside him, and Prime smiled faintly.

"It's been a long time, Prowl," Optimus stated, looking over at the black and white Enforcer. Prowl nodded at the Cybertronian leader.

"Yes. It's a pity that we had to meet under such circumstances," Prowl replied.

"So you were the first to meet her," Prime said slowly, leaning back into his seat. Prowl nodded sharply.

"She was being attacked by ex-Decepticons then, too. When I got her here, her spark case was collapsing. We were lucky that Sideswipe had brought the dead cybercat by not moments before," Prowl explained. Prime's optics turned to the Enforcer, filled with hesitant curiosity.

"Why did Sideswipe bring Ratchet a dead cybercat?" he asked slowly.

"Don't ask questions when you don't want to know the answers," Prowl replied simply. Optimus grinned at the response, remembering the many times he had received that answer when asking questions about Sideswipe.

"_Prowl, why are you orange?"_

"_Prowl, why are your wings fashioned like a bat, and why do you have black antennae coming from your helm?"_

"_Prowl, why is Sideswipe glued to your wall?"_

"_Sir, don't ask questions when you don't want to know the answers."_

Those were the times. Back when he felt like the people of his planet were working with him, rather than against him. Even if commanding an army had felt much like working in the Youth Centers, it was still nice knowing that the 'bots would defend at any given time. Now, he had to worry about the rising anger amongst the civilians.

**::Spark transfer successful. Downloading memory files into original frame's processor.:: -Jolt-**

Optimus smiled when he received the comm. from the soon-to-be medic. Prowl's optics brightened marginally, showing that he had received the comm. as well and was happy that the femme was alive. Prime couldn't deny that he was looking forward to talking to the femme. He had shared his housing unit with her for three solar cycles, and he had developed a sort of attachment to her endearingly sarcastic attitude, though it had baffled him for the first few joors.

**::Download failed. Reattempting.:: -Jolt-**

Prime's smile dropped. He looked over at Prowl, who looked equally troubled. His gaze slowly migrated to the medbay's doors, as his processor worked. Which memories would she lose? Her memories of her family, or her memories of… him? He resisted the urge to pace, knowing it would get him nowhere and tried to delve into that deep patience that he was known for. He dealt with politicians every cycle, so surely he had the patience to wait for those doors to open.

But, Primus, it seemed to take so long. What were they doing in there? They already moved her spark. Surely, it would be okay for him to stand in the bay while they did a file transfer. He just wanted to see her, to make sure that her spark was actually thrumming, that his ignorance hadn't gotten her killed. His spark sang when he received Jolt's comm.

**::Download successful.:: -Jolt-**

**::You may come in now.:: -Ratchet-** He sounded tired. He had only been working for a breem and a half, and he sounded like he had been working for cycles. Then again, Prime could empathize. The last breems seemed like joors to him. Optimus rose to his feet and walked into the bay, Prowl following close behind him. Ratchet was leaning over the femme's helm, plugging in cables that would monitor her processor waves and inform them if she started to crash. There were six cables plugged into various ports on both of her arms, and seven or eight cables disappeared into her chassis, monitoring spark sound, spark beats, her cooling system, and other various systems. Jolt was off to the side, plugging the ends of those cables into screens and monitors. In all, it was something that Prime could easily liken to those trips to the bay back during the war.

"How is she?" Prime rumbled, his spark seizing at the sight of the defenseless femme. Ratchet sighed as he looked up at his leader.

"I'd like to say that she's fine, but I really don't know. Physically, she's perfectly stable, for now at least. When we first downloaded her memory files, her processor glitched then crashed. Her cooling systems are having trouble onlining and readjusting to the heat of her spark. Emotionally, I fear she will have quite a bit of trouble. I believe she fears this place and thinks we've been trying to harm her. She has spent the last four solar cycles in the frame of a cat, when I only planned for her to be in that frame from two lunar cycles at the most." Ratchet vented again, this time in frustration. "I am at a loss as to what I am to do."

"For now," Prime began as he set a hand on Ratchet's shoulder, "let her heal. Once she awakens, explain everything to her, then give her support. That is all we can do. I need to contact my colleagues and find out how the delegates took my abrupt exit. I doubt it will be anything good."

"Of course. I will alert you if she onlines," Ratchet promised. "I must warn you, though, her processor was heavily damaged as a cybercat when she received those injuries. She could have lost some of her processing power, and some memories could have been deleted during the file transfer."

"What do you mean by 'lost some of her processing power'? You mean, she will have a glitch?" Prowl broke in. After all, he had a glitch himself, and it wasn't something he wished on other 'bots.

"A glitch… She may have trouble forming words, she may have problems saving new memory files, or she might even lose processing power altogether." All mechs in the room froze at that. It was a worse-case scenario, but it was a terrifying thought, indeed. Prime's spark squeezed again. The femme lying on the berth before him may be forced to live her existence out as a drone with a spark. And it would be his fault.

"We won't know until she wakes up, though," Jolt interjected. "We'll just have to wait." Prime sighed.

He was beginning to hate waiting.

* * *

><p><strong>AlexisOptimus:<strong> Yeah, Megatron has a bit of a temper issue. He's so touchy! But with Optimus so busy, I decided to bug the little brother. Megatron has about as much time as Optimus has work. *eye roll* That's the perks of being offline. Lotsa time (:

**Erin Primette: **Neh. If I killed her, I wouldn't have a story. ;)

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Okay. ;)

**Gemava:** Aw, thanks! Sadly, it will _not_ be a love-at-first-sight deal with Prime and Moonstrike. Prime is still getting over Elita's death. He is literally missing half of his spark, so it'll take some time and TLC. :)

**Jayna Prime: **Yup. I love the drama. XD

**Biocide:** Thanks :) I'm glad you love it.

**Vivian Hale:** Yes, indeed. Thank you. =)

**Jinxed just in time:** Yeah. Optimus kind of slipped into his "Autobot leader" mode. He's seen so much and had to learn to act on a dime, so instead of focusing on the information, he let his battle computer take charge. Always the soldier.

**Luna636:** Yeah. Once again, Optimus's run of bad luck. -.- And he was so happy and chipper. When I looked over the chapter, I thought, 'I'm making Prime's day start out amazingly, and then I'm making it all go downhill. I'm so mean.' Yup. I'm hanging with Megs too much. I'm huddling under my heating blanket, so I think I'm gonna live. ;)

**Noella50881: **Many thanks for the compliments.

**Katie Gibbs:** I can't kill her. ;) Then my story ends. And thank you. (:

**Anonymous person:** Yeah, me and Megs have been hanging close. He's dead, I need a muse… well, you can guess the rest. I told him to lay off the torture, though. He keeps mumbling about fleshies and Autobots. *eyeroll* I'm glad you like Moonstrike. I'm trying really hard to keep her from being a Mary-Sue, and thanks for your compliments.

**Animechick113:** Yep. Drama is so much fun to write. XD

**Bee-roxs98:** Yes. My cliffie is evil. I felt kinda bad when I reread it. .

**Amaim Seishin-Hime: **Thanks, hun. And yeah, aim for Megs. The brute keeps reading over my shoulder. o

**Hermonine:** Thanks. And congrats! Happy birthday to you, too! XD

**Shadowolf27:** My reasoning exactly. Prime had to babysit – I mean, command – the Autobot army, so he was used to weird things happening around him.

**Diamond White:** Here's the update you requested ;) Yes, I am ridiculously mean to Moon and Prime. I definitely enjoyed exploring Prime's darker emotions. We'll be going back into that later, though.

**MM twins and Cousin:** Oh, hey! M.L.M.! Fancy seeing you up and about. ^o^ Many thanks. :)

**Lone Wolf:** I will probably bring them in, but I don't think they'll be main characters.


	11. Waking Nightmare

Well, folks, here ya go. My points for this chapter:

1) This story is officially my main story. I'm trying as all get out to get the last chapter of _A Little Burst of Sunlight_ out, but the slaggin' thing doesn't wanna form. i think I subconsciously don't wanna finish that one. . So all y'all that wanted this to be my main story, y'all got yer wish. :)

2) Primus, I can't believe I finished a chapter this fast. Jus' sayin'.

3) Guess what, guys? I hafta go back to school tomorrow. Yay! Not. So, as a high school senior, I have little to no time on my hands. I will work on this with any free moments I got, but I don't know which days will be my goal updating days.

4) My brother was being my brother and stated that nobody read my author's notes, so if you read this, please write "red" at the end of your review. (People who look at my reviews before reading the story are gonna be so confused, but my battle with my brother is more important!)

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Waking Nightmares

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><p><em>My optics onlined slowly. Dim blue light filled the darkness of the room around me. I couldn't see where I was. I hated when I couldn't see where I was. I gave a short frustrated whirr as I activated my night-vision programs.<em> _The blue light turned green as I looked around me, suddenly able to see my surroundings. _

_And I wished I was ignorant again._

_I was in the lab that had started this fiasco. My body was off to the right, mutilated and destroyed. I looked down at myself and found that I was in the body of a cybercat. Why was I a _cybercat_? I looked around the house of horrors and ducked down when I saw something moving. Lights flicked on, momentarily blinding me, and I readjusted my optics accordingly. I looked up and felt dread seep into my spark. Three mechs were hovering over me with dark smiles on their faceplates. One was electric blue, another was bright red, and the last one was pitch black with huge cannons on his wrists._

"_Wow, it actually worked," the blue mech said with a cruel chuckle. What worked? What does he mean? "It looks like your spark updated your processor to fit your personality. That's good. Now you won't act like a cat." What? My processor? My spark? What about my spark? "We'll have to run a few tests, though, to make sure nothing went wrong." Tests? Oh, slag, no._

"_Don't worry. We won't kill you," the red mech taunted. "Just cause you a little… pain." Nuh-uh. Not happening. There is no way I'm becoming a science experiment! I gave a small yowl of fury as I suddenly leapt off the counter. Running on four feet–metal paws?–was awkward at first, but once I got the hang of it, I actually had quite a bit of speed._

"_Wait, don't run away!" the blue mech called out with low cackle as he rushed after me. Don't run away? Was he kidding? Did he honestly think I was going to sit around and let him dissect me? No way! I dashed toward the door, praying for a miracle. Luckily, it came in the form of a bright yellow mech who, at that exact moment, opened the door to come into the weird lab. I didn't get a good look at him, though, as I zigzagged through his legs._

_Then I skidded to a stop at the scene before me. Flames rose from the library in the center of old Iacon Square. As I looked around, I could see that all the buildings were on fire. Corpses and dying bots littered the ground, gray and grotesque. The sounds of cannon fire and screams of pain and loss filled the air. The smell of melting metal and death assaulted my olfactory sensors. And not five paces in front of me lay my master. I sprinted to his side, praying that I could somehow save him._

"_Master! Optimus Prime, sir!" I shouted, though I knew he couldn't understand my speech. His dim blue optics met mine as I trotted to his dented helm. "Sir?"_

"_I couldn't win, Freedom. I caused another war, and I couldn't defend my own people. I lost, Freedom, and now, you must pay the price." My optics widened at Prime's words. 'Pay the price'? What price? What did I do wrong? _

_Red optics stared down on me, and I shrank back against Optimus's graying frame. Vindictive and boisterous chuckles filled the air, effectively covering the sounds of war, sounds that I had heard for many vorns while fighting as an Autobot. My processor spun as it tried to place logic with the scene around me. I had to escape. I had to get away. I had to…_

"Calm down, young one. You are safe."_ My optics brightened as I froze. All the evil and frightening sounds suddenly faded into the background as the strong voice filled my audio receptors. I slowly looked around, trying to find the source of that familiar voice._

"That's it. Relax, bright spark."_ I cocked my head, remembering times my opiluk had addressed me with that endearment. Who was speaking to me, though? A single _beep_ filled the air. It was followed by another _beep_ a few kliks later. Then another one. And another. _

"That's it. Come back. Follow my voice, Moonstrike," _the voice encouraged. I mentally recoiled at that. Moonstrike wasn't my name. The voice was addressing the wrong femme. Or maybe I wasn't supposed to follow that voice. I turned my helm, planning to return to my fallen master's side when I saw that his body was no longer there._

"_Master!" I shouted, though the word came out as a yowl._

"Will it help if I speak?"_ a different voice questioned. I gave a delighted chirp. That was my master's voice!_

"Her processor activity just spiked,"_ that first, gruffer voice exclaimed. "_Keep talking."_ I cocked my head curiously._

"Moonstrike, we need you to wake up. We can see how close you are. Keep coming," _my master ordered. My optics narrowed in frustration. Who the slag was Moonstrike?_

"No, Moonstrike. Follow my voice," _Optimus said, sounding almost desperate._

"She's falling back into stasis lock,"_ the first voice said dejectedly._

"Freedom, don't give up,"_ Prime coaxed. _"Wake up."_ My spark sang when he said my name. I could obey my master._

* * *

><p>I grimaced at the harsh light that assaulted my optics when they suddenly onlined. I let out an electronic whine as I offlined them quickly.<p>

"Jolt, turn off the examination lights," a gruff voice ordered. I slowly onlined my optics and felt relief when I found that the bright lights above me were off.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," the gruff voice stated, grabbing my attention. He was a yellowish-green color, and he held no spot in my memories, so I dismissed him to survey my surroundings. I slowly turned my head to look around.

And I panicked.

I was in the horror house. I was in the lab. My spark's thrum-rate went through the roof when a familiar blue mech stepped up on my right side. It was _him_!

"_Wow, it actually worked."_

"_You won't act like a cat."_

"_We'll have to run a few tests."_

"_We'll have to run a few tests."_

"_We'll have to run a few tests."_

"NO!" I screamed. I wasted no time in scrambling away from him. The blue mech looked surprised and hurt, then his optics settled on something behind me. In my panic, I turned my whole body to see what was threatening me from behind. However, my hand, when I moved it to support my weight as I turned my torso, landed on nothing but air. I gave a surprised and frightened squeal as gravity started to do its work, only to have my fall stopped by a thick arm wrapping around my waist. I squeaked as I placed my hands on the floor, just in case the arm was removed from my waist.

"Moonstrike," a deep velvet voice murmured. I looked around, trying to find this elusive 'Moonstrike', and when I found no other femmes, I looked up at the mech holding me, the same mech that had spoken the name.

"H-Who?" I stuttered. My optics brightened when my optics connected with those of my master. I gasped in excitement and grinned up at him. "Master! You're here!"

"M-Master?" Prime stumbled over the word as he looked somewhere between shocked and embarrassed. I nodded as he lifted me back onto the table.

"Yes… How can you understand me?" I asked. "And why are we here?"

"You were injured, Moonstrike." Once again, I looked around for the mentioned femme.

"Who is Moonstrike? You keep saying her name," I questioned. Optimus looked taken aback, and a glance at the other two mechs in the room showed that they were shocked as well.

"You… are Moonstrike," my master replied slowly. I shook my helm, and I was about to reply when I felt something brush up against the back of my helm. I slowly reached up, and horror squeezed my spark when I felt a cable coming from my helm. I looked down and felt more horror when I saw multiple lines running from inside my chassis and from my arms. My venting systems sped up, and my cooling system flicked on in an attempt to control the heat coming from my panicking spark.

"I'm Freedom. I… I don't understand what's going on. Why did you bring to this place? I don't wanna be an experiment!" I cried. Prime frowned at me, and I felt my trust in him breaking. He brought me here. He did it on purpose, and he obviously didn't mind seeing all these cables hooked up to my systems.

"Freedom," a familiar voice murmured. My helm shot to the right, and my systems stalled momentarily.

"Prowl? What's going on? You said you were taking me to a medic friend. You brought me to a torture lab," I whimpered. Prowl stepped forward. Prime moved to the side to allow Prowl access to me.

"Freedom, I need you to listen to me very closely, okay?" When I nodded, Prowl continued. "When I got you here, your spark case was collapsing, so Ratchet transferred your spark to the spark case of a cybercat. It was only supposed to be for a cycle or two. However, you woke up, and before we could explain, you fled. You were taken to a pet store, where Optimus Prime bought you. You've spent three solar cycles in his care. One lunar cycle ago, someone broke into his housing unit, and you were injured trying to protect his important datapads. I brought you back here, where Ratchet —" He gestured to the yellow-green mech. "—Transferred your spark back into your real frame. You need to remain calm and try to remember." I looked at him helplessly, not knowing what he was wanting me to remember. Prowl sighed.

"Your designation is Moonstrike," he prompted. "Your identification number is—"

"3820193," I broke in. My optics flashed as more memories were accessed by my processor. "I do not have an occupation yet, but I was searching for one. I was an Autobot sniper during the Second Great War. My last extreme injury was caused by an attack by three ex-Decepticons. I do not know what caused them to single me out, but they did. I was rescued by Prowl, Autobot Second in Command and tactician." I went silent and looked around.

"Then… where am I?" I asked after a pause.

"You are in a clinic in upper Iacon. My name is Ratchet, former Autobot CMO. This is Jolt, my assistant and junior medic," the yellow mech interjected. I nodded at him in greeting, then sent Jolt a wary glance before nodding at him, too.

"Are my creators here?" I asked, wanting nothing more than to hide away in my danniluk's arms. Ratchet shook his helm.

"I'm afraid we haven't contacted them yet. We didn't want them here if you crashed again, or if you had adverse effects to the spark and file transfers," Ratchet explained, his voice borderline annoyed. "Creators are slaggin irritating when they worry."

"Aren't they supposed to be?" I asked hesitantly. Ratchet scowled.

"Not when I have everything perfectly under control," he stated. "Now lay back so I can fix the lines you pulled." I was hesitant in laying back, and my optics locked with Prowl's nearly the whole time.

"Everything is fine, Moonstrike. Remain calm," Prowl coached me.

"Okay," I whispered. I grimaced when Ratchet fully released the catches on my thin armor. The catches had been partially hooked to keep my chassis mostly closed and to hide my spark. Jolt moved around the table, catching my attention, and I watched with mounting horror as he shooed the two ex-officers out of the room.

"No," I broke out. "Don't leave me," I pleaded, staring at Prowl. I didn't see the flash of disappointment and guilt in Prime's optics. Ratchet scowled when Prowl immediately moved back into the bay and stopped by her side.

"Stay out of the way," Ratchet warned. Prowl nodded as he kept his optics respectably above her neck.

"Once they reconnect those lines, I will contact your creators. I believe they will be anxious to see you," Prowl promised. I smiled in relief. It seemed like forever since I had seen my parents. Now I just had to figure out how to explain the last four solar cycles to them.

* * *

><p><strong>Vivian Hale:<strong> XD I have no idea why I'm kicking the suspense up, either. It's kinda random. Once I finish writing it, I kinda think, 'Did I really just put in _another_ cliffhanger?' -.-

**Animechick113:** I still don't really know how I'm gonna make her family react… I should probably start deciding…

**Luna636:** Yes, they are :) Yes, those are my thoughts exactly, and I won't let'cha down!

**Katie Gibbs:** Yup. Optimus is beginning to hate that long-suffering patience he had.

**Diamond White: **Yep. This is just the beginning of her emotional problems. Prime will help her fix them, though. And yes, the romance will be amazing. Once we get there.

**Rapidfeather:** Lol. I don't know how I'd react if my bird became a person…

**Bee-roxs98:** Yeah, that's why I didn't make it a love-at-first-sight deal. Too weird. Right now, all he feels for her is guilt. Yeah, Hatchet wants to keep an optic on her for a cycle or two, so they'll have time to chat it up ;)

**Leonixon:** Thanks! And Optimus _does_ need a big hug. Poor mech carries the weight of a slaggin' planet. -.- Prime, darling, you always carry more than you can handle. He's always struck me as the type of mech who thinks he can save the whole world by himself, ya know?

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** I didn't mean to put that cliffie in there, either. . Yes, but it's because of guilt, not quite love. I mean he thinks she's pretty, but that's all for now. We'll get there. ;) They've got all the time in the world. :D

**AlexisOptimus:** When I thought of it, I burst out laughing. Prime's standing there, sees Moon's body, his body freezes, his helm twitches, and he crashes to the ground, offline. XD

**Nightmaskedfemme:** Thank you for your compliments. You actually asked at a bad time, though. I'm about to start school back up, so my updates will not be as frequent. I won't abandon the story, though, as I have really fallen in love with it. :)

**Biocide:** Yup, but behind the clouds, the sun is shinin'! Days will look up for the two main characters! I think…

**Noella50881:** Thank you for your review and your compliments. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. =)


	12. Master, Protector, Friend

Mkay. Here's this week's author's note:

1) Thank you, reviewers! THanks to all y'all, my brother has to do my chores this week! Sisters and their wonderful reviewers rule forever!

2) I'm thinking I'm only gonna be able to update every Saturday. If I'm able to update before then, then we can dance in joy.

3) So it dropped thrity degrees overnight. I hate Texas's bipolar weather. -.-

4) I would like to explain sumthin' real fast: Cybertron has two moons and one sun, so a solar cycle is their "day". There are two lunar cycles, and together, they are the same length as one solar cycles, so two lunar cycles are one "night". Just an FYI

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

Master, Protector, Friend

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><p>I frowned as I watched Optimus leave. Why had he left? I was certain he was used to being by my side. I looked at Prowl in confusion. His wings were held stiffly, and I wondered idly if he ever relaxed. Probably not. It was probably a habit from the war.<p>

"Why did he leave?" I asked, my processor whirring while my logic circuits searched for the proper answer to the question. Prowl looked concerned as he gazed at me.

"Because you did not ask him to stay," he replied. I frowned, and my optic ridges pulled together. My nasal plating twitched lightly as I thought.

"But… he's my protector, my owner," I tried to explain.

"No, he's your leader. You are no longer a cybercat," Ratchet cut in. I frowned, my nose twitching again, and turned my gaze on the medic.

"My processor has designated him as my owner and protector," I reiterated. Ratchet paused in his work to look into my optics. We glared at each other for a few kliks until he broke the optic contact and returned to his work.

"No matter what your processor has decided about him, he will not like feeling like he has enslaved you. Therefore, I would suggest you not treat him like he own you or call him 'master'," Ratchet stated. My optics returned to Prowl.

"When will he return?" I asked.

"When your spark is sufficiently covered," Ratchet snapped before Prowl could answer. Prowl was accustomed to this and decided to remain silent.

"I wasn't asking _you_. I was speaking to _Prowl_," I said through gritted dental plating.

"I applaud your ability to do so, but that doesn't change the fact that I am not allowing Prime to waltz in here while you are exposed as such. I would hope that you wouldn't want him walking in while you are in this state," Ratchet replied flippantly. I scowled, and my fingers twitched lightly at my irritation. Of course I didn't want Prime to walk in while I was like this. What kind of femme did this medic take me to be?

"Is he always like this?" I asked Prowl pointedly.

"Yes," both Prowl and Jolt said at the same time. I glanced down at the blue mech that was standing beside Ratchet, checking information on one of the many monitors that were hooked up to my systems. My night terror flashed behind my optics when I saw the many monitors, but I forced it away.

"What is the matter?" Prowl asked evenly. I looked up at him.

"Absolutely nothing," I replied without hesitating. I had learned long ago that hesitation was condemning.

"Your spark rate momentarily spiked. I will not repeat my question again," Prowl stated, still looking deeply into my optics. I stared into his optics, noticing how his very essence seemed to demand respect.

"Primus," I muttered. "I now know why mechs never caused trouble around you." Prowl smirked, but kept his optics staring into mine.

"It was just a nightmare," I finally stated. "Happens to everybot. I'll live."

"Hmm" was his reply. My nose twitched again. A barely audible hiss sounded, and I felt my chassis close, leaving only a small amount of space for the lines. Ratchet nodded to Prowl.

"Go get Optimus. We need to contact her creators."

* * *

><p>Optimus was pacing the lobby, which was thankfully empty aside from the receptionist, who was studiously ignoring him, when Prowl and Ratchet stepped out of the medbay, Jolt following close after them. He immediately moved to his ex-comrades, wanting to receive an update from the medic. Before he could open his mouth, though, Ratchet was speaking.<p>

"She's asking for you. Be careful when speaking to her. Her spark is weak right now, more so than I had thought it would be. She's a strong-willed femme, though, and that may just be why she's still among the online. Her processor seems to have a very small glitch when it comes to recognizing specific bots. She told us that her processor has designated you as her master and protector, so for now, I want you to see what she means by that." Optimus frowned at the medic.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly, not liking where this was going.

"Play the part. Though she is comfortable around Prowl, she was far more comfortable when speaking about you," Ratchet explained, not breaking optic contact with the Prime.

"I am going to contact her creators. They have apparently been searching for her," Prowl told Prime. Optimus nodded and turned back toward the medbay doors, hesitating momentarily. What if she only saw him as a master? He wasn't sure if he could stand knowing that he had unintentionally caused this femme to download the mindset of a slave. Was that what she thought she was? A slave? Prime's optics dimmed as his spark clenched. What type of leader did this to his subjects?

"Nobot blames you, Prime, sir," Prowl mentioned, knowing where his leader's processes were going. He had known Optimus for a long time, and there were no doubts in his mind that the ex-commander was taking this upon himself. "She was, for all acts and appearances, a cybercat, and nobot, not even the Great Optimus Prime, can tell when a cybercat is sentient." Optimus nodded absently, then he nearly yelped when two strong arms shoved him forward. He stumbled forward in an ungraceful manner before catching his balance and turning to glare at the offending bot. He was surprised when it turned out to be Jolt, a mech known for keeping to himself unless directly spoken to.

"Don't keep her waiting, Prime," the blue medic-in-training ordered with a smile. "And be careful. She's a real spitfire."

"Believe me," Prime assured him with a grin, "I know." With a parting nod to each mech, Optimus made his way into the medbay.

* * *

><p>I looked up immediately when the door opened and grinned when I saw who it was. "Optimus, sir!" I chirped. I cocked my helm at his hesitant smile. Why was he so timid?<p>

"Greetings, Moonstrike," he greeted with that annoying hesitant smile. I stared at him. My grin faltered a little before completely dropping.

"It sounds so weird for you to call me that," I confessed. Prime adopted a guilty expression, and my spark squeezed.

"This isn't your fault, ma-Optimus." I cringed at how strange my processor said it was to call him by his real designation. "You couldn't have known."

"I could have investigated the break in, rather than staying at that meeting."

"Prime," I said on a sigh, "You thought I was a cybercat. How many bots do you know will run away from an important meeting to get their non-sentient pet out of harm's way?"

"I saw the signs of your sentience," he began.

"Yes, and you treated me well. Optimus, you can't honestly expect yourself to know everything and be everywhere," I finished for him. I watched as he moved to my side. He studied the monitors beside me, as if checking to see that I was alive.

"And your memories are all back?" he questioned as he moved his optics to meet mine. I frowned a little, shaking my head.

"A few are spotty. I can't remember a lot of what happened when you left the housing unit for your big meeting. Ratchet told me a little bit of what happened, but I can't remember exactly. Just… pain. I can remember a lot of pain."

"What about the other solar cycles?" he asked. "Can you remember?"

"Yes," I replied. My frown deepened when he grimaced. "Why are you so upset by this?" Optimus smiled faintly.

"You always were so observant," he noted. "I had hoped that you would not remember me as your owner."

"I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to avoid that. My processor had designated you as my caretaker and owner while I was in that other frame. That designation, unfortunately, was downloaded with my memory files." I almost immediately wished I could take those words back. Optimus's optics dimmed, and his shoulders drooped, as if he were suddenly under an invisible weight.

"I see. Please accept my greatest apologies for this mess," Optimus said sincerely. I couldn't help the reassuring smile that was rising on my face.

"Apologies?" I giggled a little. "Optimus, I've rather enjoyed the last few solar cycles. Your energon isn't almost de-energized, you allowed me free access to your library, and I got to be lazy." Optimus cocked his helm at this, but I ignored it as I continued talking. "So don't apologize to _me, _Prime. Apologize to my creators. They were the ones who spent the last few solar cycles thinking I was kidnapped or offlined."

"Dear Primus," Optimus mumbled when he realized that he would, indeed, need to talk to this femme's creators. He knew from experience that bots weren't often logical when it came to their creations. I grinned at him.

"Don't worry. You've spent the last few cycles taking care of me. The least I can do is keep my opiluk from sending you offline," I teased. Prime raised an optic ridge at that.

"And who exactly is your opiluk?" he asked.

That was when they heard it. The yelling was hard to miss. Low, baritone growls of fury, and higher, frantic exclamations of worry. The two completely different voices were easily recognizable as my two creators. My opiluk, if you judged by the tone of his voice, was extremely angry. I, having spent nearly my whole existence with him, knew that he was only worried.

"I don't care if I have to tear this slaggin' clinic to the ground, fraggit! I _will_ find my daughter, ya hear!" I winced at the typical way my opiluk communicated with others.

"Great. _He_ came," I mumbled. Things tended to go downhill when her opiluk was there. I heard his lumbering footsteps and the frenzied cries of the receptionist.

"Sir, sir! You have to sign in! Let me get the working medic! He can explain what's wrong with—"

"Slaggit, I don't need a medic to tell me what's wrong! Moon can tell me easily enough!" the deep voice roared.

"Sweetspark, don't yell at her for doing her job," my danniluk snapped. The medbay doors slammed open, causing both Optimus and me to jump, and our optics zeroed in on the mech in the doorway. My opiluk stood there in all his hunter green glory, his large frame completely filling the doorway. His thick armor was scarred by the harsh battles he fought in. Then again, Wreckers were known for being the group that were called in when the battle seemed hopeless. My father's rotor blades on his back rose slightly in some emotion. I wasn't sure if it was relief, happiness, or a sort of excited anger. Pit, it may have been all three. I was surprised that he didn't seem to notice Optimus, despite his position beside my left leg. His optics were locked on my faceplates.

"Moonstrike, my creation," my opiluk breathed as he moved forward.

"Opi," I said with a smile. He moved forward, revealing the two femmes who were standing behind him. One of them was the black and gray receptionist who was working. The other was my danniluk. The petite pink and white femme trotted into the room after her sparkmate, looking extremely exasperated. She often looked like that when opi was like this. Whereas my opiluk only focused on me, my danni immediately zoned in on the one who wasn't supposed to be there.

"Optimus Prime," she gasped. "Moonstrike, what's going on? What happened?" My opiluk looked over at her when she said the extremely familiar name, then he looked to his left to find that the great Prime was, indeed, standing there. Optimus, for his part, looked like he recognized my creators as well. Still, I decided to introduce them formally and maybe save Prime a bit of grief.

"Opi, Danni, this is Optimus Prime. He's been protecting me for the last few solar cycles. Optimus, these are my creators, Springer and Arcee."

* * *

><p><strong>Forever Dreaming Grace:<strong> It has, indeed, been a while. :) Tha's okay, though. Yeah, Moon had a bit of a memory glitch. It's not the end of them, sadly. :(

**AlexisOptimus:** Yeah. Optimus is rather put out by her obvious dismissal. As you can see, though, she didn't do it on purpose. ;)

**Luna Prime- Awesomeness:** Yup. She's alive!

**Jinxed just in time:** That was my goal. Surprise the readers. My greatest joy is throwin' y'all for a loop ^o^ School is going by rather slowly, if you ignore the senior crap we have to do. -.- So my updates may be faster than I thought they would be.

**Kurolchi30866:** I dun think you've ever reviewed before 0.0 I'm Jen! Nice ta meetcha ^o^

**RunAway-Me:** Wow! There's a lot of y'all! ;) I feel cool, cuz y'all leave the funniest reviews! Ooh. Cookies are cool! Grab me one, Cousin!

**Rapidfeather:** Lol. My bird is friggin' scary when he's pissed, though. He attacked my friend, Dylan, and left a scar on his lip. Then again, Dyl started it.

**Vivian Hale:** Well, if it keeps people interested, then I'll keep it up. For now. ;) Don't worry. You'll start hearin' her name more often now. If it's any consolation… I keep forgetting it, too -.-"

**Kellie Witwicky:** Yeah… he probably should've, being her master and all. Then again, had he stayed, he would've had to face Ratchet's evil Wrench of Doom…

**FireheartNinja:** Teehee. I know, but poor Moonstrike doesn't. I feel bad for her. Imma throw her a bone next chapter. She deserves it. :)

**Bee-roxs98: **XD I read the username, and was like, 'Oh, Linjay! New reader/reviewer!' Then I got your review and laughed out loud. Totally made my day. :D Me and Hatchet would definitely be chattin' it up. Well, actually, I'd have more fun annoying him. :) My thoughts exactly, and it's annoying because it's_ the last chapter_! I'm like, 'Sweet Primus! Just three thousand words! Not rocket science!' But it's okay, because I'm obsessing with this one right now, and my readers obviously don't mind. ;)

**Gemava:** Yeah. Definitely an identity crisis XD

**Autobot-Bre:** Thank you :)

**Diamond White:** Teehee. That was the reaction I was kinda hoping for: the 'What-who-she doesn't-NO!' reaction. I love putting in twists like that. :) Makes the writing experience _so_ much more fun. ^o^

**Animechick113:** Her family was fun to write. Hope you liked the reactions. XD

**Warriorkat21:** I'd probably be a bit miffed if I woke up as a cat… Then again, if I was Prime's cat… I don't think I'd mind ;P

**Luna636:** Yep, she's alive. A bit glitchy, but alive. Second quarter, surprisingly, isn't that bad, yet. Huh. I have an older brother and a younger sister, so I get both sides of the spectrum. -.-

**Leonixon:** I love writing out nightmares. I have no idea why, but I do. I guess it's because those are the times when I can completely let my insane imagination loose to do whatever damage it desires. XD When I reread it, I found that I liked Prowl, too. X3 He's such a sweetspark. :)

**Misery's Prescription:** I feel bad that I'm neglecting my other stories so much, but I'm on a roll with this one! I'm glad you like Moon. I was so worried that people would think that she was Mary Sue because of her circumstances of just happening to be bought by Optimus. You get to see more of Soundwave and Ravage, too. Soundwave is one of my favorite mechs, and as such, will be a main part of this story. :)

**Hummergrey:** Yep, I'm definitely on a roll with this one. I feel a bit guilty not updating my others, but my muse is so focused on this fic, that I simply can't divert it. I blame Megatron. *nod nod* Now that I think about it, she did kind of act like a teenbot at times. I'm kind of leaning towards the whole "a fembot stays with her creators until she is bonded so that her mech creator can keep her safe" deal, so I'm having to ensure that she doesn't act too teenager-ish… That is going to figure into her new glitch, because she does have one. It's just not very distinct in this chapter. Next chapter is when it will _really_ stand out. And yes, I have been extremely mean to Optimus. Especially in this chapter. -.- Thank you for your compliments, and I hope you enjoyed the latest update :)

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Lol. Don't worry, I forget things I'm gonna review all the time. XD

**Iceshadow911247:** Yeah. My parents would probably be miffed as well…

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><p>Yay! We got to meet the parents! Super excited! Poor Optimus, though. He's not gonna have a fun time with two ex-Wreckers.<p> 


	13. Fears and Worries

So... Here's your list of statements.

1) I apparently had an epic fail moment in chapter 8. For those of you who are confused, Xenon's not her father. Xenon is Streamshot and Riprage's father. My notes even say that. -.- In the eighth chapter, Xenon, an ex-Wrecker, told his creations to put up the signs, because Springer and Arcee refused to do that, because they believed the large amount of Wreckers looking, as well as the Enforcers who were searching, would be enough to find Moonstrike. Wreckers are, after all, very good at what they do. So that was my bad. However, I am too lazy to go back and reupload that chapter right now, so I'll probably go and do it later (probably around Thanksgiving Break *shrug*)

2) It's really cold here. The high was 68 today. I hate this weather.

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Fears and Worries

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><p>"You put my creation's spark in a cybercat!" Arcee yelled. Ratchet grimaced at the petite femme standing before him. It was a known fact that Ratchet was a fearsome mech who backed down from nobot and allowed nobot to boss him around in his lair. However, even the most fearsome of bots knew better than to argue with the whirling storm of doom that was an angry Arcee.<p>

"Arcee, it was the only option," Ratchet began, trying to reason with the femme who somehow managed to loom, despite being a good four feet shorter than her target of frustration.

"The only option? The only _option_? Well how about contacting her creators to tell them where she was at, huh? Ever think that'd be a good idea?"

"Danni, I'm fi–" I started, trying to take the attention off Ratchet. And my plan succeeded, unfortunately. I winced when my danniluk whirled to face me.

"And you!" she snapped, pointing an accusing digit at me. I shrunk back, wishing Prime hadn't moved to stand by the door. I could really, _really_ use my protector at the moment. Arcee stomped forward. "You _know_ better than to go through lower Iacon, young femme! If I've told you once, I've told you a _thousand_ _times_!"

"I know, I know! 'Don't go dangerous places if you don't wanna die'! I _know_! But I knew that Opi was gonna be angry when he found out that I missed curfew!" I reasoned.

"Which is set in place for a reason! Why do you think unbonded femmes stay with their creators until they bond?" Arcee questioned. I sighed when I realized that this conversation was, indeed, going to be identical to multiple ones before it.

"So that their mech creators can defend them," I muttered. "But, Danni, I'm not a sparkling any –"

"_AND_," Arcee interrupted, not allowing me to finish, "Springer can't protect you if you are not home by the designated time. This time, you were lucky enough to be found and saved, but what if nobot had found you?" I saw Optimus stiffen by the door behind my danniluk and filed it away for further investigation. For now, I'd need to appease my danniluk.

"I'm sorry, Danni. I was wrong, and it won't happen again," I said humbly. Arcee opened her mouth to continue when Ratchet placed a servo in her shoulder.

"Continue this later, Arcee. Right now, Moonstrike needs to rest. You may take her home in a few breems. I want her to come back for regular checkups, though, so we can make sure she has no extra side-effects, no glitches," Ratchet said softly, not wanting to anger the femme. Arcee sighed heavily.

"Of course, Ratchet," Springer cut in, wrapping an arm around his petite sparkmate's shoulders. "We'll let you work. Call us in when she can leave." I watched as my creators shuffled out of the room. Well, Springer shuffled out. Arcee stomped irritably, angered at her sparkmate for cutting her off when she was just getting started. Both ex-Wreckers looked over at Prime as they passed, silently wondering why he was still here, but they didn't stop to ask him. Ratchet watched as the door shut behind them, then he turned to me.

"Now, I'm going to give you a basic processor check. Optimus, I thank you for your assistance and cooperation. Take a seat in the lobby, and I can give you a basic systems check before you leave." The medic's tone implied that this wasn't a suggestion or request.

"Of course, Ratchet," Prime replied. He gave me an undecipherable look before leaving the bay.

"Now, I need you to relax, Moonstrike," Ratchet stated. I nodded slowly and watched as Ratchet transformed his pointer finger into a needle-like object. I felt the needle slip into a port at the top of my helm, and a klik later, my world was black.

* * *

><p>Ratchet gently shifted through the information in Moonstrike's processor. Quite a few of her memory files were corrupted, but he knew that they would repair themselves with time. What really concerned him was the extra string of data that was intermingled with her basic processing data. The data seemed random and unnatural, yet it fused with the other data easily. It was merged with her audio processing unit, and it joined with her olfactory sensors. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single part of her processor that didn't have the new string of data interspersed with the regular data. Ratchet knew that the data couldn't have been there when she came in here, yet it appeared to be blended perfectly with the natural data streams, making it obvious that the extra data would not be possible to remove.<p>

"Slag," Ratchet mumbled when he suddenly came across a new set of data. This was worse than he thought.

**::Jolt, I need you to get Preceptor on the comm. Moonstrike has a string of submissive slavery data.:: -Ratchet**

**:**_**WHAT?**_**:: -Jolt**

Ratchet grimaced as he copied the new strings of data and pulled the connection needle from Moonstrike's helm. Preceptor was not very well-known amongst the Autobot forces, the main reason being his work for the Wreckers. If he wasn't in his lab studying some random subject, then he was fighting 'Cons with the best. Ratchet knew that the red scientist had spent a good amount of time studying coding and viruses, and he knew that Preceptor had dealt with slave coding before. What Ratchet was worried about was how it had gotten there in the first place. She saw Prime as her "master", but there was no way Optimus put the coding there.

"Jolt, so help me Primus, if you don't tell me why you have that expression, I will slag you to the next cycle," Arcee threatened loud enough to be heard. Ratchet activated Moonstrike's onlining sequence and strode to the door, changing his digit back to normal.

"There is nothing wrong, Arcee," Ratchet lied smoothly as he stepped through the door. "Moonstrike's glitch is just a little more complex than we thought." Ratchet didn't miss Optimus moving closer, a worried expression on his faceplates. "It appears that there is an extra string of data in your creation's processor. The data isn't harming her, but it has melded with the rest of her processes."

"So… you can't get rid of it?" Springer asked. Ratchet shook his head.

"No," he answer. "However, the data isn't doing anything yet. I cannot be sure what it is there for until something happens. I made a copy of the data string, and I will give it to Preceptor to study." Springer snorted at this, commenting on how long it had been since he'd "seen that slagger".

"I need you to bring Moonstrike back every two solar cycles. If there are _any_ changes, bring her here immediately. I will contact you if we find anything."

"Understood," Springer stated. "Is she ready to go?"

"Yes. She should be online by now." Ratchet turned his hard gaze on Optimus, who flinched accordingly. "Now, Mr. Supreme Prime, let's see how well you kept yourself and how many times I get to hit you with my wrench." Optimus rolled his optics skyward.

"Primus, save me."

* * *

><p>I frowned as I sat on my berth. It seemed so surreal to be in my own room again, yet so right at the same time. I had spent the last five breems thinking. I couldn't really tell you what I was thinking about specifically because my processes were all over the place, but I could tell you that I kept coming back to the same point: this wasn't where I was supposed to be. Every now and again, my processor would flash a warning behind my optics, informing me that my frame wasn't suited for my abilities. My nose twitched every time that came up.<p>

Arcee and Springer had pretty much left me alone, saying that they had to call everyone to inform them that I had been found. That was perfectly good for me. I didn't feel like dealing with them at the moment. For now, I wanted to rest and allow my files to defrag. I lay back on my berth and activated my recharge protocols. Tomorrow, I'd be able to figure this out. Tonight, I'd relax and recuperate.

* * *

><p>Optimus sighed as he paced his office. His check-up with Ratchet hadn't gone well at all, and he had five new dents on his helm to prove it. Despite his aching helm, the Prime couldn't seem to find rest. He just felt so… guilty. Why hadn't he taken Freed– Moonstrike to Ratchet when he had first caught her with that datapad? Why hadn't he gone when she had given him those sarcastic looks? Why couldn't he stop <em>thinking about her<em>? It had grown beyond frustrating. He had lay in his berth for breems upon breems, only thinking about the completely trusting expression that appeared on her face everytime she looked at him. It was an expression her did not deserve. He, who had kept her as nothing more than a _pet_, who had neglected her in the worst fashion… who had almost caused her death.

Why would she trust him so?

And why did he care so much?

She had said it wasn't his fault. She had admitted to enjoying to time at his housing unit. Her creators didn't blame him. So why wasn't he moving on? Why did the fact that she forgave him frustrate him so much?

Prime growled in irritation as he left his office and made his way back to his room. He had to see her again, had to talk to her and make her understand that she needed to make him _work_ for her forgiveness. He had to make her see that one couldn't forgive a sin like his so easily. He just needed a good excuse to visit, so that her two Wrecker creators didn't get suspicious.

He paused when he passed the library. He recalled commenting on the datapad she had been reading, and he moved into the library, preparing to hunt down the pad she had been about to finish. He grinned when he found his quarry.

He now had his good excuse.

* * *

><p><strong>Rapidfeather:<strong> Well, you were right about Arcee… Did you expect Springer, though? 0.o

**Erin Primette:** XD Yeah, that would suck! Poor Optimus!

**Noella50881: **Yep. Now that she has those memories back, though, she needs to work on that glitch.

**Jinxed just in Time:** Teehee. Yeah, Springer isn't very observant, but it's okay. He has Arcee for that. ;P

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** ^~^ Glad I could throw ya for a loop! I love throwing in twists like that! Makes my writing experience more fun. :D And don't worry. You're review was just fine. :P

**AlexisOptimus:** Thank you for your compliments. I think everyone who has a story with Optimus sorta torments him. What can we say? The poor mech is fun to mess with. I like trying to figure out how he would react. *shrug* Is for fun.

**Kellie Witwicky:** Ya know, I actually read those words somewhere, but I can't remember for the life of me where I saw them. I like how they sound, so I went ahead and used them. If someone else claims them, then I'll give them credit and move on with my life. *shrug*

**Just Another Random:** I replied to you via PM, but I figured I'd go ahead and say hi… So HI! x)

**Random Reader:** I do love tormenting him. He's just so… tormentable. XD The mech just has that air about him. LOL! Moonfreedom? I would be giggling through a fic with that as the main character's name. Freedomstrike is pretty hard core awesome. x)

**Vivian Hale:** Yup! Her creators are Wreckers. I giggled when I realized that she is nowhere near as gung-ho gunhappy as her parents are. x)

**Autobot-Bre:** Thanks. :)

**Animechick113: **Thanks for your review and compliments. :)

**Warriorkat21:** Teehee. Yes, Optimus is pretty amazing. Too bad he isn't real, and if he was real, I highly doubt we'd ever come in contact with each other… :( Fangirl as Optimus's cat… Well, that would hilarious… *snort* I think it would be extremely awkward for him. His cat following him _everywhere_.

**Diamond White:** XD I so enjoy catchin' y'all off guard. Nobody expected them to be her creators. XD I love their interactions, though. Springer and Arcee are so much fun to write. LOL

**Luna636:** Yeah, Prime feels a bit awkward, a bit guilty, and a little upset by the fact that another being was under his power against their will. *Sigh* Optimus puts too much upon himself. Springer and Arcee being her creators caught everyone off-guard. XD I love twists.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Indeed, it does change everything. Now, the stakes are higher. Break the spark of a Wrecker's creation, you're liable to be killed painfully. ^o^ Optimus has his work cut out for him… in a few chapters…

**Leonixon:** Teehee. Yeah, Wreckers are scary, especially when they're worried about their femme creation.

**Bee-roxs98: **Her calling Prime "master" is worse, too, cuz he's so hung up on freedom and such. I had to do some serious thinking, because Arcee always seems to go back and forth between Springer and Hotrod in the series, and a lot of people portray her to be a slut, so I had to decide between those two mechs. Hotrod reminds me of my little cousin, so I decided to go with Springer. And yes, Autobots are probably less likely to kill Prime, but that doesn't mean they won't threaten and scare him. :3

**Startyoursparks:** Thanks you. That's what I was going for. :)

**MM twins Cousin and Qwen:** 0.0 That was a really long review. Thank you for the offer, but I have my own secret recipe for cookies… and brownies if I _really_ feel like working. I think I got around 31 reds, and I would describe all y'all as… "crazy cool". *nods sagely*

**Supergirlprime:** In some continuums, Arcee is a Wrecker. In some, she's just lumped in with the group, not really a Wrecker, but more of a mascot. In my story, Arcee was found by the Wreckers and was raised as one of them. She mated Springer, and that sealed her position in the Wrecker family.

**Hummergrey:** Thank you for your compliments! Her cat mannerisms are actually going to be a part of her glitch. You will see these come more often, especially during the next chapter. Thank you for your review! ^o^

**Gemava:** I can promise you this: Optimus will be _very_ possessive and _very_ protective of Moon once he really starts liking her. He lost Elita, so he's gonna be very obsessed with Moonstrike's safety. I was thinking about making it Hide' and Chromia, but the thing is, Prime would have met Moonstrike if she were 'Hide's sparkling. Optimus and 'Hide go way, _way_ back. Arcee and Springer were just easier. Plus, Wreckers are my current writing challenge.

**Hannah:** Yes, that was an epic fail on my fault. You are one of two readers to mention that.


	14. A Big Deal

Here's your weekly... thing.

1) Just an FYI. There's twist in here that's going to answer a lot of all y'all's questions. I giggled madly when I wrote it, which gained me a weird look from my brother and a grin from my sister. It's in the last sentences of the first paragraph. You will be shocked. Just so you know.

2) I officially hate winter, and I feel bad for all y'all Northerners who have to deal with the cold more often. I'm definitely used to 104 degree weather. Guess ya never know what ya got 'til it's gone. -.-

3) If you are reading my _Little Burst of Sunlight _Series, I wrote a cute little one-shot about Sunburst's first Halloween in honor of my first time to go Trick-or-Treating. (No, I never went before Monday because my parents are convinced that Imma get kidnapped and killed if I go door-to-door, so Monday was extra fun for me.)

4) Primus, this chapter is so long! 3K words _without_ the review replies! *o*

* * *

><p>Chapter 14<p>

A Big Deal

* * *

><p>My optics onlined easily. Primus, what a strange dream. Very few bots dreamed of becoming a cybercat. My processor <em>would<em> come up with something like that. I grinned as I hopped off my berth. I felt wonderful. Wonderful and free. Why did I feel free? I couldn't tell you. Maybe it was the fact that my internal chronometer was telling me that it was my solar cycle to work. As much as I loved staying at home or hanging out with my friends, I loved working with Shockwave, despite the fact that I sometimes grew tired of his confusing attitude. He was definitely a mech that acted like a robot, rather than a normal Cybertronian. Primus, the mech's only companions were the drones he created.

Well, and me, of course.

I trotted out of my room, through the L-shaped hallway, and toward the sitting room, which doubled as our greeting room. My room was at the very back of the housing unit, sitting at the end of the L. Beside my room on the right were the washracks, and to the left was my brother's old room. A cleaning closet was tucked away in the corner of the L, right at the bend, and it held a single cleaning drone, which was all my family could currently afford. Beside the cleaning closet, my creators' room stood with sound-proof walls and doors. It disturbed me that they were sound-proof, but I never questioned it. I turned the hall and moved toward the two open doors that were situated right across from each other. The one of the right was my mech creator's office. I turned to the left, moving into the open door of the sitting room, where I planned to get my early-cycle energon. I stepped into the room, looked up to greet my creators, and froze.

Optimus Prime was sitting in my brother's chair. _Optimus Prime_ was sitting in my brother's chair. _Why the slag was Optimus Prime in my brother's chair?_

"Oh, Moonstrike!" Arcee said suddenly from her seat across from and Prime and beside Springer when she abruptly noticing my sudden entrance. I looked at her blankly, then looked over at my opiluk. My gaze turned to Optimus, who was gazing back at me with something akin to hope and delight. I turned my gaze back to Arcee.

"I'm gonna be in my berthroom until I wake up," I claimed, spinning one-eighty degrees on my heel. "Primus, my processor must be seriously slagged if my recharge projections are _this_ vivid," I mumbled as I heard Prime quickly rise to his pedes.

"Wait, Moonstrike," Optimus called out. I blinked when some part of my processor told me that it would be best to obey that command. Optimus only did things to keep me safe, so it was wise to obey him. I halted in my tracks and turned to face him. He had obviously been following me, as he was only a step away from me.

"Moonstrike," he began. Then he paused, obviously not really knowing what to say. "I, uh, wanted to speak with you," he continued, sounding extremely awkward. Seeing as he was a powerful mech, well-known for his articulate speeches, I found this rather… endearing.

"Well, words are definitely coming from your processors, so I think it's a good possibility we can uphold a conversation," I stated bluntly a smile rising to my lips. If anything, Prime seemed more flustered by my statement.

"Of course, I could understand if you have no desire to speak with me, after all I did to you, and-"

"Prime!" I broke in. He went silent as he looked at me, obviously not accustomed to being interrupted. "I told you we were fine," I stated, thinking back to my dream, which had quite obviously _not been_ a dream. Prime vented in frustration, his optics brightening as he stared down at me.

"Surely you cannot forgive me for treating you as a pet for so long," Prime retorted. My own optics flashed in irritation.

"If you had treated me as a pet, then perhaps I would be rather torqued off. However, you treated me as an equal, most of the time, speaking to me normally and allowing me to read and such," I stated, trying to reel in my growing temper.

"But I forgot to feed you. I brushed you aside while speaking to Soundwave. I didn't even think about your safety when I received the alert that my housing unit was being burgled. I-"

"Are you _trying_ to give me a reason to be angry with you? I do not see the logic in that, Prime," I interjected. "I'm _alive_. I'm processing normally, my spark is thrumming, and my venting system is at its best. The last four solar cycles have been great, the only negative part being when I first woke up in that body. Please stop blaming yourself!"

"I apologize. I simply have trouble forgiving myself when I spent the last millennia fighting to preserve the freedom of innocent bots," Optimus explained momentarily looking away. "I was hoping that there was a way that I could make it up to you." I cocked my head at him.

"I don't see that you've done any wrong, but if it helps you recharge peacefully, then I will not reject your offer of recompense," I said slowly, a frown marring my features. Optimus locked optics with me, and I could see the flashes as guilt in them, along with another emotion that I couldn't quite name.

"Perhaps we can make a deal. You enjoyed having access to my library, correct?" My optics lit up as I nodded.

"Yes. The Iaconian Library is still being rebuilt, so I haven't read very much lately."

"Then perhaps you would like to visit me every few cycles. I do not get very many visitors, and I have grown quite accustomed to your presence. I could loan you some of my datapads every time you visit, and you could bring them back once you were finished with them." I balked at the offer. Datapads were a rarity on Cybertron, seeing as all libraries were destroyed. Any known datas were in the process of being copied and downloaded. The first ones would go to the new libraries, and the extra ones would be sent out for consumer use. They were very far from finishing those extra ones, though.

"I… I couldn't do that without giving you something in return, sir," I claimed. "Perhaps I could help you a little with your work." I was a little shocked when Optimus let out an amused chuckle. My cooling fans picked up a little at the smooth sound that filled the hall.

"Always trying to keep me from overworking myself," Optimus said, sounding amused. I scowled.

"Well, I can see that you have absolutely no worries about your own health. Naturally, I _had_ to step in, so that you didn't offline yourself!" I hissed. Optimus only shook his helm a little, still smiling.

"I will take you up on that offer. Perhaps with the input of a working bot, I can work on this energon crisis."

"Sounds good. I can come every solar cycle," I stated.

"Chem will be pissed if you miss another day, Moon," Springer suddenly called out from the kitchen. I frowned and checked my internal chronometer for the date.

"Slag!" I gasped. "I'm sorry, Prime, sir, but I have to go. Every three cycles, I work at the labs."

"I have never met the mech," Optimus said slowly as he followed me into the sitting room. I grabbed a cube of energon and started chugging it as Springer spoke.

"That's because the mech was a Decepticon," Springer said bitterly. I gave my opiluk a withering look. That was why I didn't tell him that I worked with Shockwave too. Chemical was only a lab hand. Shockwave was the brains of the lab.

"Emphasis on the word _was_. Opi, Chem is a very nice mech who just made some bad decisions. As I recall, you were just a violent a killer as he was," I snapped. Springer scowled at me.

"Yes, the difference being that I killed murderers, not innocents."

"I don't have time for this, Opi. We can continue this argument when I get home," I stated, not really in the mood to argue in front of our Prime. I dropped my empty cube into a recycling receptacle and turned to face Optimus again. My gaze dropped to the arm he was offering me.

"May I escort you to your next location? I would like to continue our conversation," he stated. My cooling fans flicked up a little more as my cheek plating flushed blue. My gaze turned up to the Prime's face, and I-

Wait. Was he _smirking_? My cheeks flushed an even darker shade of blue. I wanted to accept his offer so much, but I knew Shockwave and Chemical would be upset if I brought the ex-Autobot leader with me.

"I would be honored," I said after a long pause. "However, I doubt my employers would enjoy your presence." I knew that a normal person wouldn't have noticed the change in his demeanor, but having spent the last four cycles observing him, I could tell that Prime was frustrated and a bit suspicious.

"Thank you, though," I added on in a hopeful voice, not wanting him to be angry with me.

"Of course. Perhaps I will see you next solar cycle?" Optimus hinted. I smiled.

"Sure, mast-Prime, sir," I replied, wincing when I almost called him "master" again. Prime grimaced a little, then his faceplates suddenly lifted when he remembered something. He pulled a datapad out of his subspace and held it out to me. I hesitated only a klik before taking it, flipping it over to look at the title.

"The First Great War," I read aloud. I looked up at Optimus, smiling. "I had just started reading about Alpha Trion."

"I surmised you would want to finish it, so I brought it with me," Optimus stated. "We can make it the first of your rented datas." My smile softened.

"Thank you, Prime. I will be sure to visit tomorrow," I promised. "For now, I must go."

"Of course. Safe travels," he replied, stepping out of my way. I nodded to him as I put the datapad in my subspace.

"Safe travels. Until all are one," I replied in kind, feeling a sense of déjà vu as I used the old Autobot farewell. Prime smiled.

"Til all are one." I grinned as I trotted out the front door.

Optimus watched as Moonstrike left the housing unit, somehow feeling lonelier once the door closed behind her. He was so focused on the door that he didn't notice Springer moving until a large suddenly clamped down on his red and blue armored shoulder. Optimus, mildly surprised, jolted a little and looked on her shoulder at the green triple-changer.

"Now, Prime, let's discuss just what you meant by forgetting to feed my daughter, brushing her aside, and not thinking about her safety."

"Slag."

* * *

><p>"I'm not late!" I exclaimed as I rushed through the hissing lab doors and slid to a stop in front of Shockwave's lab table. A single yellow optic turned to me, and I fought the shiver that wanted to rush down my spinal strut.<p>

"No, but you barely arrived before your shift began. I may also note that you have not clocked in," Shockwave stated in his flat voice. I looked at the check-in computer. Sure enough, the computer had not recognized me as being here and on time. I was officially four kliks late.

"Slaggit!" I cursed angrily. So close, but so far away. I'm sure if he had a mouth component, Shockwave would be smirking. Shockwave, however, didn't have one.

"It's alright, my pet. As long as you arrived safely, the time is inconsequential," the ex-Decepticon stated, somehow working that logic out. "I have received word that the last four solar cycles have been rather interesting for you. I would very much enjoy hearing about it." I smiled.

"Well, I was attacked by ex-Decepticons," I began, hopping up onto the lab table behind me as I watched Shockwave work on… whatever he was working on. Without further ado, I started telling Shockwave about the last four days, leaving out the fact that I had been spending time with the Prime. Instead, I led him to believe that I had simply been with a higher-class mech. Though a part of my mind told me to trust Shockwave, I couldn't help but be wary. He was, after all, a Decepticon once before.

So I told him what happened, cutting out anything I thought should be kept out. You see, my relationship with Shockwave was strange, at best. Back when the war was still being fought, every Autobot and Decepticon knew about the single-opticed mech. Needless to say, when I woke up on one of his lab tables with him looming over me, I was more than a bit frightened. After calming me down and checking my wounds, he had explained what had happened. I had been shot by Decepticon sniper who had managed to find my sniping point during a battle. He had repaired the damage to my frame and mended the damage to my processor. We had been friends since then. I told him about my life and helped him with his projects, and he _allowed_ me to help, checked up on my processor damage, and offered advice to my problems.

"It is an extremely outlandish narrative, but I am sure it has validity. Perhaps _I_ should assess your processor. I believe I am more familiar with it than a random medic," Shockwave said when I finished, glancing up at me for only a klik before returning to his project. I smiled.

"I'm all good, Shockwave. I have to talk to Chemical, anyways. I'll talk to you before I leave," I promised before sliding off the table to my feet. I trotted out of Shockwave's lab and started down the long purple hall. It felt strange to be here again after spending so many cycles going nowhere but the different rooms in Prime's housing unit. I took a right at the first intersecting hall then entered the first door on the left.

Chem was a rather interesting mech to behold. Bright red and neon orange armor made him stick out like a crushed servo. Add in his bright crimson optics and a strangely upbeat personality, and you had the mech that was Chemical.

I walked in to see him working on a metal orb that appeared to have two flaps on each side, though they were half the size of the orb. I moved closer to the lab table, and I couldn't hold back the giggle that rose when I heard Chemical humming a joyful tune. Chem looked up at me and grinned as he straightened.

"Moonstrike!" he greeted cheerfully as he abandoned his project to jog to my side. I suffered his tight embrace and grinned when he grabbed my arm and started tugging me toward the table like an excited youngling. "Come see what I'm making!" I allowed him to pull me over to the table and found that the orb was actually a round head, and the two flaps were decorative audio receptors. I could see the spindly body that Chemical had been in the process of attaching to the head by the neck. Two dark optics were in the center of the orb, and there were small holes for olfactory sensors. The mouthplates were small and puffed out cutely. In all honesty, the whole thing looked kind of cute.

"What…is it?" I asked slowly, drawing out the first word to express my confusion, even though it was perfectly shown on my faceplates. Chemical looked up from his creation, a bright smile on his face and his optics bright with childish glee at the opportunity to tell someone about his experiment.

"It's a drone… For you!" he chirped happily.

Oh joy. A drone. For me. How on Cybertron was I gonna explain _that_ to my creators?

* * *

><p><strong>Warriorkat21:<strong> I do, too. That's why I've been a bit nicer to him this chapter… Except for metaphorically tossing him to the dogs before allowing him to leave Moonstrike's housing unit. It's okay. Springer won't kill him. Neither will Arcee. ;)

**Erin Primette:** I did? I don't know how… What do you mean? . ?

**Spuergirlprime: **Nope. This will not be good. Optimus is gonna be pissed. Springer and Arcee are going to be even _more_ pissed, because Ratchet didn't tell them when he knew.

**Just Another Random:** This is good, because that is my goal in writing. When I am chosing a topic to write on, I always think, "Okay. Has this been done before? If it has, how can I make it different? Is it possible to make it different, yet keep it interesting at the same time?" I wrote _A Rough Road to Recovery_ with this in mind. I wanted to write a human-turns-Cybertronian, but I had to find a way that made it unique. Thus, I came up with that; though I fashioned the story off of the prompt "Write about an elevator". Strange how that works out.

**Gemava: **Thanks for going through that trouble to send a review! I know that if my review button isn't working, I just think "screw it" and hit the back button. Optimus is certainly becoming more possessive, as you can tell. She _can_ understand Cybercat speak, as you will find out in a chapter or two when she meets up with Soundwave (I don't quite know why they're meeting up, yet…) She's not gonna be a triple-changer, though, because she doesn't have programming or the build-up. Triple-changers need bulkier frames to make room for the part that a necessary for two different forms. That's why Springer is so tall and bulky: because he needs room for car parts and helicopter parts. She will get a make-over, though.

**Leonixon: **I know! I hate it when my mom does that. I actually based Arcee of my mom and Springer off my dad. XD Once again, I love writing Ratchet, and Prime is extremely cute, _especially_ when he's awkward.

**Kellie Witwicky: **I think I get what you mean. I wasn't really basing Arcee off of any known verse. In reality, I was working off the whole "All-Wreckers-are-jerks" thing established in Bayverse. In RotF, Arcee didn't really get any spotlight, so I felt I had a lot of freedom with her. My back story for her (as you will find out) is that she was found as a youngling by Ultra Magnus and adopted by him. As such, she was raised as a Wrecker, and once she bonded with Springer, it became official, so in this fic, she's not related to Elita-1 or Chromia. She's just another femme amongst many in the Autobot army. I bet this chapter cleared up about the "submissive slavery" data.

Lastly, About the age thing… Actually, Moonstrike is older than Bumblebee, but younger than Jazz. Think of it this way: Optimus is around 30, and Moonstrike is around 21. She was active during the war, and she was actually a very good sniper while the war was going on. She was beginning training as a saboteur when they received word that the war was over. On Cybertron, though, traditionally, a femme stays with her mech creator until she is bonded, so that her safety can be ensured. Even if the age gap was bigger, it wouldn't really matter. Cybertronians are almost immortal. They live for millions of years (they say Ratchet was alive before Earth was evolved, though I do not believe in evolution), so age difference really doesn't matter. If a mech's spark says that it has chosen its mate, he will pursue that femme until she mates with him, or outright rejects him. Good question, though. I surprised that not a lot of people ask that.

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** I'm glad I could make your day. I enjoy helping people, so I'm glad my writing could do something like that. :)

**Animechick113:** He is. He'll figure out his emotions eventually. ;)

**Bee-roxs98: **Yes, Arcee is pretty awesome. Being one of the few femme Wreckers, she was always very feisty, wanting to keep up with the guys. Springer was always more laid back. He's kinda like Sideswipe: laidback at home and around friends, yet cruel and merciless in battle. They complete each other. :3 LOL

**Hummergrey:** Oh. My. Primus. I would die. I hate the cold, and after living in 105+ heat for the last five months, even eighty degrees feels cold to me. It hasn't been getting over 64 degrees down here. Freakin' bipolar Texas weather. -.- Next week, we'll probably get a tornado, hail, and a snowstorm.

In this fic, Arcee was found on the street as youngling by Ultra Magnus. As such, she was raised as a Wrecker, giving her the harsh attitude. When she met Springer, his spark immediately marked her as his, and he bluntly told her he loved her and that she'd be his. After a long courtship and once Springer talked Ultra Magnus into giving them his blessing, they bonded, making Arcee an official Wrecker.

I think this chapter answered your ponderings on the coding. Random slave coding + Shockwave = no coincidence

You'll see just what her coding causes her to do. *insert excited, yet sly smile*

**A Wiccan:** Thank you for your review. As it is, my brother had to do my chores because of our bet. XD Success.

**Noella50881: **Indeed, it does suck to have that sort of glitch. It works in her favor, though.

**Jinxed just in Time: **0.0 No fetish. XD Just a twist.

**Kamilian:** I was very close to leaving her a Cybercat longer, but alas, stories must move on. Moon needed to return to normal so that Optimus could fall in love with her, slowly but surely. :)

**Autobot-Bre: **Yup. He's confusing affection for guilt.

**CyberAngelAlexis:** Thank you! I try very hard to come up with original stories. I love writing twists and things that make my readers go, "Whoa! I did _not_ see that coming."

**Rapidfeather:** Oh! That sounds painful. :( Hope you feel better. After all, nobody likes it when Megatron sits on their foot. Glad ya like reviewing, cuz I like reading your reviews.

**Diamond White:** Yeah. Optimus is taking it kinda far. He's getting better, though. His guilt is turning into affection as he spends more time around her. Notice how he kept thinking about her and noting that his housing unit felt lonely without her around?

**AlexisOptimus: **Aw, thanks. Hehe, yeah, Prime wants to spend more time with her. Is this some sort of sign?

**Vivian Hale: **Very true. I'm nothing like mine. XD

**Random Reader:** Very, very true. If he wasn't so sweet, and cute, and noble, it wouldn't be half as fun….. Then again, at that point, he'd be Megatron, and that mech gets just as tortured… Well, now that he's given her some compensation, his guilt is beginning to go away.

**3xX-BOTDF-Xx3:** Thank you for your review. I hope you liked the update. :)

**Luna636: **Lol. Uh-huh. Optimus wants to see her more often, but the poor dear thinks it's because of guilt. *sigh* What is he gonna do when he starts figuring out that he actually holds affection for her?

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness: **Mm-Hm. Oppy is gonna see what happens when he starts spending more time around the girl his spark is concentrating on.


	15. Friends, Foes, and Irritating Spybots

OKay. I had four or five reviews asking what a drone is, so Imma give all y'all a brief discription to get rid of the confusion (I hope).

**Drone:** A drone is a small cybertronian used for specific tasks. Most drones do not have sparks, and as such, cannot think for themselves. They are, in every sense of the word, robots. Drones have been used since the end of the First Great War and the first one was created by the combined knowledge of Sentinel Prime and Shockwave. Because drones do not think, they are normally built for a specific task and only carry out that task (cleaning drones clean, trash drones pick up trash, serving drones retrieve energon and serve it at parties, ect.) Later, a mech by the designation of Alpha Trion created the first spark drone. The drone was built like a regular Cybertronian and was given part of a spark. By doing this, a drone received a personality and the ability to use that personality and the intelligence that went with that personality to better do its job. However, there was a large debate over just how sentient these spark drones were. Many said they were the same as regular Cybertronians and that by forcing them to work, the spark drones were being enslaved. Alpha Trion tried to explain that spark drones actually enjoyed their jobs, as they were built for that specific job, and could actually change that programming if they desired to do a different job, but bots still claimed it was slavery. As such, spark drones were made illegal. Spark drones would not be used again until the Second Great War of Cybertron, and the Decepticons would make the first spark drone and would designate him Wheelie.

1) I hope that ^ cleared up your questions. :)

2) Here are the definitions you may need for this chapter.

**Kibble: **parts on a bot that are a decoration, rather than a necessity, on a body's bi-pedal mode. (Bumblebee's doorwings, Ironhide's cannons, the wheels on Sideswipe's pedes) basically the parts of a bot that serve no purpose other than decoration.

**Orn:** Seven solar cycles and fourteen lunar cycles. (Cybertronian week)

**Breem: **8.3 minutes (cybertronian minute)

3)Football season is over for our school, so I might actually have a full Friday to write now! *yay*

4) This chapter is very long. 4k without the Author's Note and review replies.

5) I ran into my Spanish teacher's desk yesterday while vacuuming. It was rather painful and I have a bruise the size of my fist now. Jus' so y'all know...

6) This Author's Note is rather random... :/

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Friends, Foes, and Irritating Spybots

* * *

><p>"A drone," I repeated, looking at Chemical. The red and orange mech nodded vigorously, bouncing slightly as he did. I stared at him as he smiled and shifted happily as he waited for my approval, for my praise. "Chem, my parents can't afford the upkeep a drone requires."<p>

"That's the best part!" Chem burst out. I giggled a little bit, knowing that Chem had, no doubt, been holding in that statement since I had arrived. If anything, he appeared even more excited by the question. "It can perform self-maintenance! This is technology at its finest!"

"And you're giving this super technology to me because…?" I questioned, my hands making circular motions as I verbally prodded him for an explanation.

"Because I want to!" I stared at Chemical in confusion, slack jawed and wide-opticed. Chemical didn't seem to notice how completely confused I was, if his proud and joyful smile and narrowed optics were anything to judge by.

"Chem," I said as I composed myself. Chem gave a single nod, acknowledging his name. "Chem, my creators will flip if I bring home a drone from a Decepticon lab. Springer will say you're spying on me." I immediately felt bad when Chem's face fell.

"You don't want it?" he asked, his voice holding nothing but disappointed hurt.

"No! Chem, it's great! It's really, really great! It's just…" I frantically searched my processor for an excuse. "A normal femme like me would look suspicious with a drone as high-tech as _that_ following me around!" I adlibbed as I gestured to the offline drone. Chemical perked up.

"But it won't _look_ high-tech! Please, please take it, Moon!"

That's when I made my mistake. I looked back up at Chem's face. His crimson optics were wide and excited. His bottom lip components were pushed out in a pout, and his servos were clasped together just below his chin. There was absolutely no way this mech was a murderer. By Primus, he looked as dangerous as a petro-puppy. I groaned as my will shattered.

"_Fine_. If you finish it before I leave, I'll take it with me," I snapped. "If my parents get mad, though, I'm sending them here."

"No worries! Your parents will, no doubt, enjoy the extra protection this drone will give you!" Chem chirped as he returned to working on the drone.

"Chemical," I said on a sigh, "you make my life _so_ much more difficult."

"Well, _that's_ not a difficult task to achieve," Chem said brightly. "All I have to do it give you a scrap of metal to take home and shine, and your creators will automatically believe I got it from an offlined Autobot." With that cheerfully said, Chem returned to his happy humming.

"Uh, got anything for me to do?" I asked, not really wanting to stand around while he worked. Chem glanced up at me.

"The drone's memory processing chip and personality chip are on that counter. I need you to polish them and double-check for any abnormalities," he stated. I nodded and moved over to the counter. I transformed my pointer digit into small and precise pincers and lifted up personality chip. I zoomed in my vision and started working at finding any glitches or defects.

* * *

><p>Optimus strode to the docking station with purpose. He had received the comm. from Jazz informing him of the spybot's arrival only breems earlier, and he had immediately changed his course from the Meeting Hall to the Docking Station. Now, he was striding toward Docking Bay Delta-three, ignoring the looks and pointed fingers he was getting. Was it <em>really<em> this strange for the Prime to be walking around the docks? He _really_ didn't feel like dealing with the docking bots at the moment. He was still a little off kilter from the interrogation he had just went through by Springer and Arcee. Primus, they were so… protective. Did they honestly think he had forced her to become a cybercat so that he could make her fall in love and bond with him? Primus, they made him seem like a Decepticon!

"The Great Prime came ta welc'me meh back home? I'm flattuhd," a joyful voice rose over the cacophony that filled the crowded docks, effectively breaking Optimus from his thoughts. Optimus grunted as he looked around for the short mech.

"Don't let it go to your helm. I met you because I need your skills," the leader stated in a matter-a-fact tone. Jazz grinned as he suddenly appeared from the crowd. Only inbred reaction kept him from jumping in surprise at the mech that was suddenly in front of him. Prime had learned long ago about Jazz's joy at startling other mechs, and he knew that if he jolted, Jazz would be talking about for the rest of the orn. Instead of jumping, Prime leveled Jazz with his stare.

"So ya need a spy? Le's see if I c'n help ya," Jazz said as he turned toward the dock entrance. "'Sides, I've been waitin' t' check up on Freedom since I left."

That's when Prime missed a step. He stumbled heavily as he fought gravity. The last thing he needed was for some reporter bot to mention him tripping at the docking station. Jazz paused in his steps to look back at the Prime, a mech who was known for being graceful on and off the battlefield, despite his height.

"Slag, Prime. Wha's yo'r glitch?" Jazz asked, his visor bright blue as the optics behind it lit up in confusion and amusement. Optimus stood tall and stared down at Jazz.

"There was… an incident… concerning Freedom…" Prime said evasively. He really didn't want to talk about the femme in public. However, Jazz had different plans.

"Fraggit, Prime! You starved 'er, didn' ya? Slaggit, I tol' ya t' take care 'a her! Primus! You lead a whole planet, yet ya can't keep a _cybercat_ alive?" Jazz was really getting worked up, pacing back and forth in front of Optimus and tossing his servos around in an agitated manner. Needless to say, he was also attracting quite a bit of attention

"Jazz!" Prime interrupted. Jazz paused in his tirade to look up at Optimus. "We will speak of this in my housing unit, and not until then. Understood?" It was rare that Optimus used that commanding voice, and Jazz was certain something was seriously wrong.

"Okay, Prime. How 'bout we head there, then, an' we'll chat," Jazz replied, sounding a bit wary. Optimus nodded, thankful that the bot understood discretion. There were other bots who once worked in the Autobot army that had no sense of the word (Sideswipe).

"Then, let's leave. We have much to speak about," Optimus stated solemnly, sending his friend a sideways look. "Much has occurred in you absence."

"Well, I'm sure you'll tell meh _all_ about it," Jazz chirped. Prime smiled inwardly.

"Maybe," Optimus said with a sly smile. Jazz just shrugged.

"Well, what ya don' tell meh, I c'n figure out by mahself. I'm pretty good at getting' info'mation when I wan' it." Optimus groaned, knowing that Jazz was speaking the truth.

"Very well," Optimus said on a sigh. He grimaced at how childish his voice sounded.

"Don' worry, Prime," Jazz said good-naturedly, as if reading his processor. "I tend ta have tha' affect on bots."

"Indeed."

* * *

><p><em>Warning: Frame is underdeveloped. Visit a frame-modifier or medic.<em>

I grimaced, nose twitching irritably. In the last ten breems, that message had popped up on my HUD six times. It had long since grown past a nuisance to becoming an irritation. Why the slag would my frame be underdeveloped? I was transferred into my adult frame vorns ago! Besides, I had been at Ratchet's clinic just two lunar cycles ago. Surely he wouldn't have missed something as important as a frame update. My nose twitched again, and for some reason, I was certain my audio receptors and tail were twitching in irritation as well.

Wait… I didn't have a tail. And my audio receptors were simply small holes in my helm. I had no such embellishments. Yet, my processor told me that I was _supposed_ to have them. I grimaced at the confusion, but pushed the matter to the back of my processor when Chemical suddenly shouted, "It's finished! It's finished!" I glanced over my shoulder at Chem, who was positively _glowing_ with excitement. His little drone invention was finally in one piece, and it was awaiting the final two components needed.

"Okay, Chem. I'm bringing the personality chip first," I stated as I walked over. Chem grinned widely as he took the two by one inch chip from my digits with small pincers of his own and started installing it in the drone's helm as I moved back for the memory processing chip. I examined it briefly and found, surprisingly, that the chip already had a few memories programmed in. How strange. I shrugged it off, though and returned to Chemical's side. Chem took the chip and installed it swiftly. He closed off the drone's helm and turned to look at me.

"It will take a little bit of time to download before I can online it, so let's talk," he suggested happily. I frowned.

"Actually, Chem, can you do me a favor?" I requested. Chem frowned as well, not really liking my solemn tone. He nodded, though.

"Of course, Moon. I'll do anything for you," he stated. I smiled at that. Chemical always _had_ been my best friend. Whereas Streamshot listened well and told me what I wanted to hear ("Yeah, Moonstrike, ignore your opiluk. He doesn't understand you. You should go to the party anyways."), Chemical listened well and gave me good advice in a way that made me see reason without making me angry ("Moon, Wreckers are protective of their young. Your opiluk is just bit more worried about your safety than your social status with those bots who _claim_ to be your friends.").

"Chem, I had a very busy few cycles, and I think it may have affected my processor. You see, my spark was transferred into a cybercat's body, and-"

"You can _do_ that?" Chem asked with wide optics. "Is that even _legal?_"

"Apparently. Anyways, I spent four solar cycles in the body of a cybercat, and now, my processor is saying that my frame is underdeveloped."

"So you want me to run a diagnostic on your processor," Chemical surmised in a grave tone. I nodded once.

"Without Shockwave knowing," I added quietly.

"You do not trust him anymore," Chemical noted. I shook my helm. Chemical looked at me for a few kliks before sighing and waving me over to a clean medical berth. I hopped onto the berth and reclined back as he pulled a plug from his wrist and gently plugged it into an access port at the base of my helm. Instantly, my firewalls rose in defense, but I easily took them down. I had to grimace at the feeling of someone sorting through my memory files and personality components. It was true that altering one's memories was difficult, but it was not unheard of. Besides, completely wiping a processor of all memories was easier than moving them around. After a breem or so, Chem removed the plug.

"Your processor is wanting cybercat kibble," Chemical stated. I was silent as my mouth opened and closed while trying to find words. My body wanted the kibble of a cybercat? I sat up and turned to look Chem.

"Are you saying my processor thinks I need a cybercat's tail and audio receptors?" I questioned, my optics brightening in confusion and irritation.

"And retractable claws on your pedes and digits, and sharper front dentas," he added with good cheer. My frown deepened.

"Okay… and did it say where I'm supposed to get these…?" It took Chemical a bit of time to reply. He opened his mouth, then closed it after a few kliks. He shuffled to one of his cabinets, his servo on his chin in thought.

"Maybe… if I have enough materials… but her parents will be angry… maybe if I just make up the blueprints… Shockwave isn't reliable. Might ask too many questions…" I listened in silence as Chem mumbled to himself as he dug through the cabinet fill with random junk. How he knew where everything was, I would never know. The mech was a terrible packrat. Many a time, when we ventured outside, he would stop to pick up random things off the ground and put them in his subspace. I would always ask why he collected scrap, and he would always say, "You never know when you'll need something" in his bright voice.

"Eureka!" he suddenly exclaimed. I jolted slightly as I looked over at the orange and red mech.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"An idea!" he replied as he trotted over to the berth I was sitting on. I giggled at his wording.

"And what idea did you find?" I questioned. Chem stood up straight, puffing out his chest in pride. I grinned as I stood from the berth. Even though Chem was a good twenty feet tall, I was still taller by one foot.

"We need to pay a visit to Soundwave!" he announced. I frowned, completely confused.

"Okay… I'll bite. Why should be visit Soundwave?" Chem lit up happily as he continued explaining.

"Because he has a cybercat," he stated, holding up one digit. He lifted another digit as he said the other reason. "and because he has had experience building feline extremities." I nodded in understanding.

"Makes sense. Will we be allowed to visit him?" I asked. Chemical nodded enthusiastically.

"Meet me in Iacon Square next solar cycle, and we will meet him together."

"Very well. Send me when and where you want to meet, and I will make the arrangements," I agreed. Chemical smiled brightly, then that smile changed to his excited, I'm-about-to-do-some-serious-science-and-succeed smile.

"Now," he said as he clasped his servos together, "let's online this drone!" I grinned as I followed the scientist to the drone's berth. I watched in interest as Chemical performed a final diagnostic on the drone's systems. As he worked, Chemical explained what he was doing. He loved sharing his knowledge with me, and I loved receiving it. When he finally finished, Chem looked over at me with an excited smile and bright, wide optics.

"Ready?" he asked, much like a child with a new toy. I grinned back.

"Ready." He started the online sequence and removed the plug that had connected the drone to the monitor. I glanced over at Chem to see him practically shuddering in excitement. "Chill, Chem." Chemical glanced over at me with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, Moon. I'm just so excited," he muttered with an excited whimper. He squeaked in exhilaration when little white optics lit up. The long flap-like audio receptors wiggled a little. The drone looked up at us and slowly sat up.

"Greetings, mistress and creator," the drone greeted in a lilting voice. I looked over at Chem as the drone looked around.

"'Mistress'? Really, Chem?" I asked in an incredulously irritated voice. Chem nodded energetically.

"Yep. He belongs to you," he replied. I looked back at the drone, who was now peering at me curiously.

"Mistress, if you would prefer, I can address you by a different designation," the drone stated. I nodded to the drone, but Chem broke in before I could speak.

"You may call her whatever you wish," Chemical replied. I blinked as I turned to glare at Chemical, who was openly grinning at me.

"Of course, creator," the drone replied. Chem turned fully to me and began speaking.

"This drone is the first and, most likely, the last of his kind. Though he has no spark, he has complete sentience. Whereas most drones would simply obey without thought, this little guy has a battle computer, a logic center, a personality chip, and a memory chip. He is, in essence, just like you." I stared at Chemical in shock.

"A sentient…" I trailed off, unable to finish. Why would Chem give me something _this_ high-tech, this special? He could get so many credits if he sold this. He could have a great companion with this drone, yet he was giving it to me… I looked down at the drone. "What is your function?" I questioned.

"Function: Protect femme Moonstrike, support femme Moonstrike, offer femme Moonstrike proper advice, offer femme Moonstrike a friend that will always be there." I frowned at the drone's reply.

"Chem… why do I have a sinking feeling that this drone was designed to take your place in my life?" I asked slowly, turning to my long-time friend. Chem smiled sadly at me.

"Moonstrike," he began. I frowned. Chem _never_ used my full designation. This couldn't be good. "Times are changing. I won't live forever, and I want to be sure that you have someone to support you like I did when I move on to the Well of All Sparks."

"Chem… You aren't talking about self-termination, are you?" I whimpered. To my surprise, Chemical laughed.

"No, Moon, my spark. But I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this charade. Please, for my sake, as well as your own, take the drone. Care for him. Perhaps one day, someone will be able to give him a spark. He has the chamber for one."

"Chem, just promise you won't do anything stupid," I ordered quietly, looking him in the optics.

"I promise, Moon. Now, give your new drone a name and take him home," Chemical said in a gentle voice. I looked down at the drone, who was now on his feet, flapping his audio receptors experimentally.

"I will name him Socius. Thank you for your gift, Chemical," I said as I pulled the scientist into a hug. Chemical sighed as he hugged me back.

"Stay safe, Moonstrike. Keep your friends close, and always be on guard for enemies. Remember that the calm always comes before the storm." I nodded as I lifted the six foot tall drone. "And leave him outside the door when you speak with Shockwave. He cannot know about Socius." I nodded again.

"Okay, Chem. I'll see you next solar cycle, then," I said as I moved to the door.

"Yes. I will see you then. Good cycle, my spark." I waved as I left and headed back to Shockwave's lab.

"He cares about your safety," Socius stated abruptly. I looked down at the drone.

"Yes, he does. I was the first Cybertronian to spend large amounts of time with him. He's a bit eccentric, and the red optics tend to put most bots off. I spent large amounts of time with Shockwave during the war, so red optics do not cause me any panic."

"You do not believe Chemical is capable of harming others," Socius surmised. I shook my head.

"Chem's too sweet to hurt others," I claimed. Socius shook his head.

"Everybot is capable of harm others. It just takes the right initiative." I looked down at Socius.

"You are rather cynical for a drone," I stated.

"I have a logic center and use it rather well. How often do you use yours?" I chuckled, grinning.

"Mech, I believe you and I are going to get along very nicely." In all honesty, this drone seemed like a more serious and critical form of Chemical. I set the drone down when I approached Shockwave's door. I knocked once, then walked in when the door opened.

"Moonstrike," Shockwave greeted. I smiled.

"Shockwave. I came to say goodbye for now. I have to return home and visit a few friends. I'm sure Streamshot will want to speak with me."

"Of course. May your trip back to your housing unit be uneventful and safe." I smiled and nodded before turning and walking out the door. The door closed behind me, and I started walking down the hall to the lab entrance. I heard the sound of transformation and glanced back to see that Socius had transformed his pedes into wheels and was skating after me.

"Mistress, may I ask why you associate with that mech if you fear when you are around him?" the little bot asked. I shrugged.

"He saved my life, Soc. He has yet to harm me," I stated.

"That you know of." I frowned at that.

"Why would he harm me?" I asked. "And how would I not remember if a mech like Shockwave hurt me?"

"He would harm you because he is a mech that not only works with drones programming that goes with them, but he was on the opposite side of you in a war that lasted for millennia. Why would he take pity on you, a femme who fought against his leader, when he took no pity on any other femmes or sparklings? He could easily hide the evidence by manipulating your memories. You heard creator. Always be on guard for enemies, especially this enemy who has apparently already had access to your processor before." I frowned. It was definitely something Chemical would have said. It was hard to accept, yet completely possible.

"I understand your viewpoint, Socius," I murmured. "Let's get home. I need to comm. Streamshot, and she'll want to meet me at my housing unit."

"I will follow wherever you go, mistress." I smiled, already liking this drone.

"Then let's go."

* * *

><p>"So le' meh get this right. Freedom was a femme in the body of cyba'ca, an' not only was she a femme, but she was the creation of Spring and Arcee? She got wounded when s'me ex-'cons robbed ya housin' unit, an' Hatchet put 'er back in 'er real frame?" Optimus, who was sitting in one of the chairs in his greeting room, nodded at Jazz, who was perched rather randomly on the back of the couch across from the two chairs, his legs stretched out and his crossed pedes resting on the arm rest. "An' where do mah skills come inta this li'l story?"<p>

"I need you to get some information on a mech by the designation Chemical," Optimus stated evenly. Jazz grinned as he felt a sense of déjà vu. It was just like old times: Prime found some tidbit of information and sent the Jazz-man to get the rest of that information. Of course, the Jazz-man was always the mech for the job, because the Jazz-man _never_ failed. Jazz's grin turned cocky as he hopped from the couch and plopped into the actual seat of said couch.

"'Chemical'? Don' sound like a mech I've eva met…" Jazz said thoughtfully. His visor snapped over his optics as he crossed his arms in his "cool mech" pose. "I'll check mah sources. Don' worry, Prime. I'll get whateva info'mation ya need. Fo' now, I think you should pro'ly go to tha' meetin'." Optimus frowned as he watched Jazz hop to his feet and saunter towards the door.

"And where are you planning on going?" Optimus questioned, knowing that Jazz was up to something if he was planning on leaving on leaving without talking about the many parties he attended in Helix. Jazz sent Prime a mischievous smile.

"Ain't it o'vious? I'm goin' ta visit Springuh an' Arcee. It's been _vorns_ since I saw them. 'Sides, I wanna see jus' how pretty this femme a' theirs is," Jazz claimed. Optimus felt a bead of jealousy and possessiveness flow into his spark. He didn't realize he was glaring until Jazz chuckled. It was then that he realized that his engine was revving threateningly as well.

"Dang, Prime. Somebot got a crush?" Jazz asked cheekily. "Don' worry. I ain't gonna do nothing to 'er. Jus' talk. I'll see ya when I see ya." With that, the ex-saboteur was gone.

Prime slouched back into his seat. A crush? On Moonstrike? No. It wasn't possible. He barely even knew her.

Then why was his spark pulsing in hot fury at the thought of Jazz even _thinking_ of courting her? Why did it go into an enraged frenzy when Jazz talked about her looks? Surely his spark was mistaken. Yeah. That was it. His spark must still view her as his pet, and therefore, it must still feel possessive of her.

Prime nodded with finality. His spark was just a bit confused. After all, it still belonged to Elita, and he would not betray his sparkmate, whether she lived or not.

With a firm resolve, Prime rose to his pedes and gathered his datapads before leaving to prepare for his next meeting in a place that wouldn't remind him of a certain ex-cybercat.

* * *

><p><strong>Vivian Hale: <strong>Yes. Don't you love how oblivious Optimus is? I guess that's a good thing, right now, though, seeing as Moon doesn't really feel anything for him yet.

**Gemava:** Well, thank you for taking the time. :) Moon has a plasmashot sniper rifle, a plasma pistol, and two wrist blades that she never uses. Quite frankly, she sucks at close-range attacks. It's why she prefers to be a long-distance sniper. Plus, she's dang good at shooting from that far away. Yes, there will be Decepticon problems (notice that the ex-cons keep popping up in the story.;) ) I'm sorry, but I won't do that. I don't like reading lemons, and I sure as heck can't write them. I'm a pretty strong Christian, and was taught that that stuff is wrong. If others wanna read and write that, then it's their perrogative, but I don't want those thought in my head. Ya know what I mean? Optimus and Moon will eventually "do the deed", but I won't go into detail. Sorry. :(

**Rapidfeather:** Ya know, I was gonna make Chem all serious when I sketched his character out. Then I thought, 'No, I want a really cute OC.' So, Chemical became a puppy-like person. :3 0.0 Yeah, that would probably be painful. I can't watch anything remotely horror. I have an overactive imagination, so I end up tricking my mind at night. Heck, the Brothers Grimm scared me!*shudder*

**XLizardXQueenX: **I saw your review for chapter 13. ^.^ I'll go ahead an answer them both here.

13) I do that a lot. I'll skim over a story, then the next time I see it, the story will be, like, twenty chapters further in. I thank you for your compliments, too. Soundwave is my favorite, as well (along with, like, twenty other mechs.). I'm glad you like my originality. I always focus on writing fics that have never been written before. It actually works in my favor, as well as all y'all's. All y'all get new original stories to read, and I get writing experience. Besides, I love throwing all y'all off and begging for more. It shows that I am doing my job well.

14) Thank you. I love it when that happens to me. I feel like I cheated the system somehow. Don't ask how, cuz my reply probably won't be logical at all. :D

**Biocide:** Thank you for your compliments. Vague outlines. I use them for everything. Stories, reports, poetry. IN all my stories, I have a few things that reoccur through the whole story. You'll see that Prime gets in trouble with other bots all the time. I think I PMed you about the drone thing…so yeah. :)

**Noella50881:** This chapter may have given you more information on your review. Remember, he's already been in her processor before. 0.o

**Bee-roxs98:** Flustered Optimus is, indeed, very adorable. Something about how noble and collected he is. I can't wait to put him in his first awkward, this-is-not-what-it-looks-like situation with Moonstrike. XD

**Luna636: **Yep. Opty is about to go on the ride of his life. He thought commanding an army was hard? He ain't see nothing yet. And they'll definitely have one of those talks. I feel honored to have received your longest review! Thank you. :D

**Genderbenderlover101:** No more waiting for this chapter. =)

**Amai Seishin-Hime: **Halloween was awesome. I'm sorry you couldn't go trick-or-treating. :( In our neighborhood, the people were giving out large amounts of candy because it was a school night, so very few people were trick-or-treating. Glad you liked the chapter. :P

**WarriorKat21:** Yes, prime's awkward moments are rather hilarious. I love picking on him. In reality, I didn't plan on Shockwave being in her life. Definitely a spur of the moment thing.

**Diamond White:** *Sly smile* Prime does, indeed, wanna be in her life. The slagger's just too dense to figure it out. -.- Silly mech. Your sinking feeling may be right… or it may not be… Decisions, decisions. Thank you for your review.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness: **Teehee. Awkward Optimus is fun to write. Oh, and no, Chem isn't interested in Moon romantically. He sees himself more as a tutor and best friend, maybe even a father-figure. Though there is a mech that is interested in Moon, and he's known her for as long as she's known Streamshot. Here's a hint: he was in chapter 8 and spent a lot of time glaring at Prime when Optimus spoke about Moonstrike ;)

**AlexisOptimus:** LOL. I hate it when that happens. Now, I keep my outline vague so that these plot twists won't murder the plot line. I could tell you everything that's going to happen in this story, but I couldn't tell you what will lead up to those situations and circumstances. :) Shockwave's involvement was a surprise to me, too, but it wors to my advantage. Thank you for your review.

**Autobot-Bre:** Yep. He figured something out this chapter… then he totally missed it. -.-

**CyberAngelAlexis: **Thank you for your review. :D Glad I could keep you in anticipation for the next chapter? Hope you enjoyed it.

**Iceshadow911247:** 0.0 Bike riding in _40 degree_ weather? I would die. My house stays at 70 degrees, and I live under a blanket. It feels especially cold, cuz our highs for the last six months have been 102+, then suddenly, one day, the high was 68. Texas weather for you: completely bipolar. We'll probably have a tornado tomorrow. -.-

**Katie Gibbs:** I explained at the top of the chapter. :) But thanks for the review.

**Jinxed just in Time:** … XD Yeah, I probably should've been a bit more… tactful… XD My bad.

**A Wiccan: **Yep. The cold sucks. I'd rather have 103 than 63. I'm from Texas, so I'm used to hot weather. It's the cold that gets me.

**Supergirlprime:** I addressed the drone thing in the AN. Don't you love those stories where the two main characters are _completely_ oblivious? XD It's okay, though. The jazz-man is on the job. ;) Oh the fun I will have.

**Hummergrey:** And Jesus. Christmas is about Jesus, too (If you're a believer like meh.) I do enjoy giggling randomly or snorting in amusement when I'm writing, especially when my brother's in the room playing his games. He always glances over at me, and I only seem to do it when he's about to die. XD Oh, the simply joys in life.

Teehee. Yes, Moon really doesn't care how sorry he is. She's heard so many stories about the great Autobot leader, so this emotional, apologizing mech is kinda irritating her.

Yep. I'm still deciding how much of a bad guy I want Shockwave to be. Not all Decepticons were on Earth…

**Lost In The Arts: **I'm glad you like him. He's adorable, isn't he? X3

**Chocomadsandirish:** thank you for your review. I'm glad you like the story.

**DragonCrazed:** Wow! Long review! Thank you for giving me a long review! I spent the last seven minutes of Spanish class reading it! And it was filled with compliments! OoO Thank you, thank you, thank you! Totally made my day. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope I can keep impressing you. ^-^

**Jaa162:** Thank you for your compliments. I'm glad you liked it, and I hope the explanation at the beginning of the chapter cleared up your confusion. :)

* * *

><p>Two more things! I couldn't put this in the beginning AN without giving stuff away.<p>

1) The drone's name is pronounced "Soh-see-us". Socius is a Latin word that mcan be loosely translated to "companion" or "Partner".

2)When thinking about Socius' voice, know that I imagine his voice to be the same as David Kaye voicing Sesshoumaru and/or Protoman. That deep, serious voice...


	16. Irritating Friends

1) This is the Jazz-man, 'ere. I... comm'ndeer'd Lun'r Mist's AN ta talk ta ya. 'Ere's the deal. Lun'r Mist 'as a strange obssession wit' meh, an' the way I talk. As such, Mist took a lot a' time ta learn ta spell ou' how i talk. She did this bah list'nin' t' 'er bestie, Dylan, talk. Ya see, Dylan is 'round 'er twenty-fo'e seven, so she ge's ta analyze 'ow 'e talks. Tha's why she's so goo' at writ'n ou' mah voice. Now, mah a'itude is anothuh story. Fo' tha', I jus' 'ave ta say... she's jus' tha' goo'. I's okay ta be jealous, mah mechs an' femmes. (Even though I get that personality from Dylan, too. Dyl acts too much like Jazz) So, now tha' all tha's cleared up, I gotta a party ta go to. Gotta spread the Jazz-man's eva-lovable pres'nce 'round ta all tha' wanna see 'im.

2)... Now that that's all...cleared up... Here's chapter 16. prime's not in it, so don't get your hopes up too high. :)

3) So... I wanted to feel free and in control, so i got my ears pierced again... then I realized that I'm not allowed to wear jewelry during cheerleading... My coahc is gonna eat me, cuz there ain't no way I'm letting these holes close up. They cost 60 frickin dollars. Then, I got scouted for a modeling acadamy at Bath & Body Works. 400 girls, 15 open positions for modeling, and I got chosen! Then I couldn't afford it. Major let down... But hey, it gave me a major confidence boost. ^w^

4) Sorry this is a day late. Reason number three is why it is late. :(

5) Lunar Mist has a facebook! Here's the link, just get rid of the spaces. http: / / www. facebook .com /#!/ profile. php?id = 100003171286790

* * *

><p>Chapter 16<p>

Irritating friends

* * *

><p>"Okay… I think I'm following you…"<p>

"Good! I was so worried I'd have to explain it again."

"With Streamshot, I wouldn't be surprised if you had to explain it five more times."

"Riprage, I _will_ shoot you."

"Yeah, Stream. I'm shaking in my armor."

_Clang._

"Ow! What the slag, Stream!"

I grinned from my perch on my berth. Riprage and Streamshot had arrived just moments after I had, and thankfully, their arrival had diverted my creators' attention from the drone perched on my shoulder. Said drone was seated beside me, staring in bemusement at the squabbling siblings. Riprage had immediately gathered me into his arms in a tight hug, and Streamshot had hovered by my side, demanding I explain where I had been for the last four solar cycles. She informed me, none too politely, that she had wasted a whole solar cycle posting datas informing all of Iacon that I was missing. I sheepishly fed her my story, trying to placate her.

"So, you were staying with Chemical for the last four solar cycles, and you didn't tell your creators or your _best friend_ that you were because he used to be a Decepticon, and you were afraid we'd be torqued at you? And all of this was to finish making that drone right there?" Streamshot asked, reiterating what I had told her. Riprage grumpily scooped up the scrap of metal his sister had just thrown at him. He placed it back on the table by my berth. I ignored him in favor of nodding enthusiastically at his sister.

"Yup. I designated him Socius."

"Oh. He's pretty cute. What's his function?" Streamshot asked hesitantly.

"Just company and small things that I'm too lazy to do," I replied, the lie easily sliding off my glossa. Riprage knelt down before the drone.

"His looks are unique," the burnt orange mech noted. He looked up at me from his position. "You said Chem made him specially for you?"

"Yeah. He even let me help with the more important chips and circuits." Well, it wasn't a complete lie.

"And you're sure it's not a spy?" he questioned, his optic ridges rising in concern. I nodded confidently.

"Chem would never do that to me. Besides, I worked too close with him for him to pull something like that." Riprage sighed and rose to his pedes.

"If you are sure, then I won't question you," he decided. I smiled at him. Riprage always knew what to say and when to stop pressing an issue. The mech seemed a bit dazed for a klik, but Streamshot grabbed my attention before I could question him about it.

"So, you just made a drone? Or do you have some sort of… _relationship_ with this Chemical character?" my best friend asked unashamedly. Without hesitation, my cheekplates flushed bright blue with energon.

"N-no, Streamshot!" I stuttered out. My optics turned to the teal femme, just missing the angered and possessive expression that lighted Riprage's faceplates. "Chem's just a friend!"

"I'm sure he is," she replied, a sly smile firmly in place.

"It's not like that! Chem's just a friend! More like a father, or a brother!" I exclaimed, trying to force down another blush.

"Uh-huh, I'm sure," she pestered, poking me in the side as she sat down beside me. She slung an arm around me, leaning close as she nudged my leg with her own. "C'mon, Moon. I can see it in your optics. You have a crush on somebot."

"No, I-"

"Moonstrike, you have a… visitor." Never before had I been so happy to hear my danniluk's voice through the housing comm. unit. I smoothly hopped off the berth and trotted toward the door, only to have it hiss open when I was a few steps away. My optics shuttered, then unshuttered at the mech standing before me. I opened my mouth to speak, to greet him, but Streamshot spoke before I could even access my vocal processor.

"JAZZ! Oh, my Primus, it's LIEUTENANT JAZZ!" she squealed. I turned just in time to see her vault off the berth and sprint to my side. She stopped just behind me and looked around my arm. Streamshot barely came to my elbow, seeing as she was only thirteen feet tall. Then again, she was only a little bit shorter than Jazz, who appeared to be somewhere between extremely amused and overly smug.

"So which a' you is Moonstrike?" he asked in his deep, accented voice. I cocked my helm, trying to ignore Streamshot as she poked me discretely.

"That would be me," I stated. Jazz grinned as he leaned casually against the door jam, arms crossing over his chest. I heard Streamshot vent heavily behind me.

**::Primus, you have such a crush,::** I muttered to her via private comm. The only reply I received was a giddy, academy-girl giggle.

"Well, li'l lady, mah des'gnation is Jazz," he began.

"I guessed as much," I interjected with a smile. Jazz paused in whatever he was going to say and chuckled.

"Yeah. We met up b'fo'e, didn' we?" he said. I frowned.

"Yes, but I've been trying to keep the rest of Cybertron from knowing that," I replied. Jazz's optics shot to Streamshot, then to Riprage, who was scowling and slowly moving closer to us.

"I see. Well, I came ta speak wit'cha 'bout tha' li'l adventa' ya took. Ya busy? I c'n come by latuh if ya got mo'e import'nt stuff ta do," he claimed as he studied the two siblings behind me. I shook my head.

"No, I can talk," I said quickly. Anything to get away from Streamshot's accusing glare. Primus, my audio receptors were going to offline once she caught me alone. I turned back to my friends. Streamshot looked betrayed while Riprage looked irritated. "I'm sorry, but I must speak with Jazz alone. I will comm. you as soon as I can, but for now, you two must leave," I stated apologetically. Streamshot gave me a look that said very clearly that we would be talking much sooner than I thought, and Riprage only sent Jazz a warning glare.

"Yeah, Moonstrike. See ya later," Streamshot muttered as she slowly moved past Jazz. She gave him an apprieciative look before looking back at Riprage. "C'mon, 'Rage. Let's roll."

"Coming," Riprage said, his voice dark. He moved past me but took the time to pull me into another hug first. His helm rested on my shoulder, and I heard him say goodbye again. Then he released me and walked past Jazz, giving him a dark glare.

"Well," Jazz began with a grin as he sauntered into my room and closed the door behind himself, "le's talk 'bout wha' happened when you were wit' Opt'mus. Actually, start befo'e tha'. Tell meh how ya ended up in the body of a cyba'cat." I gave a heavy sigh. This was going to take a while.

"Well, it all began when I was walking home from one of Streamshot's big parties."

* * *

><p>Ratchet groaned as he dropped into the chair behind his desk. He hated the end of the orn. It was when everybot came in for checkups and tune-ups. He gave a heavy sigh as Jolt plopped down in his own seat across the room from the medic.<p>

"I hate cycles like these," the apprentice moaned. Ratchet grunted in agreement. He didn't even feel like talking. At the moment, Ratchet wanted nothing more than to lay back and relax with nothing but a nice cube of high-grade and some soft Earth music. However, that was obviously not going to happen. This was proven by the boisterous red mech that suddenly burst into the room.

"Ratchet, my good, long-time companion! It has been far too numerous vorns in which we spent time conversing and exchanging various facts and details about our lives and studies!" Ratchet blinked and frowned at the mech. Said mech had bright red armor, however thin that armor was, and a large microscope was mounted on his shoulder. His blue optics were bright with excitement and general joy. Ratchet groaned and dropped his helm onto his desk loudly. He _didn't_ have the energy for this. "Primus, Ratchet, you could cause serious internal and external damaging to your processor and cranial unit through carelessness such as that action."

"Good joor to you, too, Perceptor," Ratchet grunted sarcastically. Perceptor swept into the room with all the grace of an excited rhino and stomped over to Ratchet's desk.

"Good joor, Ratchet, my friend. Jolt notified me of a specific and unusual phenomenon involving a femme and her programming," Perceptor prodded, already excited to look at this string of data. If Ratchet required his assistance, then the data was, no doubt, uncommon. It may even be a new string of data, one that had never been seen before! Ratchet mumbled something as he rose to his pedes.

"Come with me, Perceptor. I'll get you all set up in the bay," Ratchet said solemnly as he moved out the door. Perceptor trotted after the former CMO, chatting along and somehow missing the medic's growing irritation. "Here's the bay," Ratchet said suddenly as they stepped through the door. He moved past the medical berths and approached the special computer made for studying and correcting data patterns and the such. "This femme was attacked, and I placed her in a cybercat's frame. Long story short, she had this all through her processor when she onlined in her original frame. In addition to that, this piece of submissive data was strung in."

"Hmm. Allow me to closely investigate this data for a few breems, and I'll see what information I can procure on the topic."

"Yeah, Perc. You do that. I'm going to find a nice cube of high-grade." With that, Ratchet left. Perceptor gave a delighted huff.

"Now, let's see just what caused this code to come into being."

* * *

><p>"So you act'ally rem'mber ev'rythin'?"<p>

"Yes, Jazz. I believe I already mentioned that."

"Like… _ev'rythin'?_"

"Yes, Jazz."

"An' at the pe' shop… when I pick'd ya up… an' when I shov'd ya at Prime's housin' unit…"

"Yes, Jazz. I remember you picking me up, and I remember your…interesting encouragement."

"Primus, our r'lationsh'p jus' got awkw'rd," Jazz claimed as he flopped back onto my berth, covering his faceplates with his servos. I giggled from my spot across the room. Jazz had taken to sitting on my berth earlier on in the evening, and I had taken up post by the door, leaning up against the wall. Our "conversation" had basically been me telling the last four solar cycles from my point of view. Jazz had been more than a little embarrassed when I had told him that I remembered _everything_ about the last four solar cycles, including the awkward way he had held me at the pet shop and the irritating shove to the rear he had given me when I hadn't immediately moved to investigate Prime's housing unit.

"C'mon, Jazz. It ain't _that_ bad," I claimed. Jazz groaned again, obviously not believing me.

"Opt'mus is gonna _kill_ meh," he mumbled.

"Why would the Prime kill you? Why would the Prime care at all?" I questioned. Jazz sat up abruptly, but I couldn't tell his thoughts because of that slaggin' visor.

"Tell meh ya didn' jus' ask tha'," Jazz ordered incredulously. I cocked my helm.

"Jazz, are you alright?" I jumped when he vaulted to his pedes and started pacing in front of me.

"No! Primus, why do _I _ge' stuck wit' all the _dense_ frien's? I though' femmes was s'posed ta be mo'e intuitive than this!"

"Jazz… I'm confused. Are you functioning correctly?" I questioned.

"Scans show that Autobot Lieutenant Jazz is functioning properly, though he is in need of a tune-up," a deep mechanical voice stated. I grinned at Socius, who was seated on my berth-side table. Jazz glared over at the drone.

"Yo'r drone is too ou'spok'n," he stated dryly. I grinned wider.

"You know you're jealous."

"No' likely. Now," Jazz continued, getting back on topic, "you o'viously don' know yo'r own though's, an' Prime don' eithuh, so Imma fix this up."

"Fix what up…?" I asked hesitantly.

"Don' worry, Moon. I got this. You jus' be sure ta visit Prime t'morrow, kay?"

"…Kay…"

"Good. I gotta roll. So much plannin' ta do, so li'l time!"

And he was gone.

"Why do I have a sinking feeling about this?"

"It is my belief that you inadvertently just gave your life away. It was nice knowing you, Mistress."

"Mute it."

* * *

><p><strong>A Wiccan:<strong> He is pretty awesome. His voice gives me chills.

**Leonixon:** Thanks! You already know about my obsession with him, so you understand my careful rendition of his accent. Yes, wonder about Chem… *sly smile* Depending on his popularity, he may be a good guy or a bad guy. Decisions, decisions.

**Kellie Witwicky:** Shockwave always creeped me out. The question is: did he put the coding there? And if he did, was it for a bad reason, or for a legit good reason?

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** XD I think I wrote him to be so adorable. When I first planed his character, he was gonna be all serious. Then I wrote him humming and thought, 'Whoa. A serious, creepy mech would _not_ hum.' Then I thought, 'but his character could be so cute…' And behold, Chemical was created! My neighborhood is like that, so we went Trick-or-Treating in one of my friend's neighborhood. Made life easier.

**Bee-roxs98:** XD Yeah, everyone's been saying that. Prime can be frustrating, but in reality, I can sympathize with him… to a point. I've already completely planned out his It's-Not-What-It-Looks-Like moment, and I do believe you will appreciate it. *evil grin* It will actually be happening fairly soon…

**Vivian Hale: **Thanks for the compliments. Socius is pretty awesome. I want a drone like him. *pouts in a corner* Why can't Transformers be real?

**Lone Panda:** Thank you for your review. I'm trying really hard to make the romance go slow, because of Elita and because of Prime's hesitance and problems. I praised Jesus when we lost, because if we had won, the next game would have been even farther away. -.-

**NightMaskedFemme: **I wish I had time to update faster. :( As it is, I am a day late. Life is dragging me down and sucking up all my free time. *sigh* Thanks for the compliments, though.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** LOL. XD

**Animechick113:** Indeed. Thanks. :)

**XLizardXQueenX: **Oh, I understand what ya mean. I live in Texas, so Spanish is required because we're so close to the border. I don't mind, but I hate their sentence structure… Latin will help you in science and physiology classes, though. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

**Luna636: **I enjoyed writing Socius. Then again, I love writing all of my OCs. Don't worry. That triple threat (Prime, Moonstrike, and Riprage) will come. Two possessive mechs, one of which is named after his quick temper, and one clueless femme. Oh, the joy…

**WarriorKat21:** She will, indeed, get some strange looks, but hey, it'll get rid of the flashing red light behind her optics. Win/lose situation. XD Jealous Prime is da best.

**Rapidfeather: **O.O A cat for sale named Prime. XD Oh, that gave me so many possibilities, none of which will probably appear in the story. I don't think I could work cyberitten!Prime into this story. And yes, Optimus is a *bit* possessive and overreactive. XD

**Diamond White: **Dun worry! The Jazz-man is on the job! Ain't no dead femmes gonna ge' in the way a' 'is plans! XD I'm not too sure what I'm doing with Chem, either. I planned him to be a serious character, then he turned out to be much like a turbo-puppy… =\ Yup. Prime is jealous… we're finally getting somewhere. :)

**TheHellIKnow:** 0.0 Ya know, I dunno if I'm gonna offline Chem, yet… he definitely _is_ popular amongst the readers… Socius is a rather interesting character. I still have to flesh him out a bit more (in a manner of speaking), but he's good for just coming in. :)

**Hummergrey:** Yep, the weapons serve a purpose… I definitely didn't think that one through before publishing it… Huh, oh well.

I think Shockwave is always up to something, but what's worse? He always has everything planned out… Food for thought… I felt kinda bad for Optimus. He needs to just mate Moonstrike so that I'll stop being mean to him… then again, I'll probably still be mean to him… -.- and I keep thinking, 'I'll be nice to him this chapter.' He's just too easy to torment!

You're close. You're very, _very_ close. The answer _will_ shock you. Socius is a mystery, and once y'all figure it out, you're gonna be like 0.0 Look forward to it. :)

Now that ya mention it, Chem does seem a bit like 'Jack… Huh. Well, I wasn't thinkin' about 'Jack when I wrote out Chem. I was gonna make Chem a serious mech, then I wrote him humming, and his character just seemed to grow from there. The little foreshadowings are to keep all y'all innocent readers hooked. *insert evil laugh*

I loved writing Jazz teasing Prime. It was freshman year high school all over again! XD Super fun to write. Thanks for the long review. :)

**Jaacs McHenry:** XD Yep, Chem's a mystery mech. 0.o LOL

**Autobot-Bre:** Yeah, Optimus is a bit… okay, a lot dense. It's okay, though! Jazz is on the job!

**AlexisOptimus:** Glad I could make you smile. =) Sadly, Prime wasn't in this chapter, but don't worry, he'll be in the next.

**Katie Gibbs:** My, my, you've become quite attached to Chem already… XD Don't worry, I love the mech, too. I dunno if I'm gona keep him as a 'Con or not… What to do, what to do…

**Jinxed just in Time:** ! 0.0 Poor Jazz! I don't want him ta get hurt! (Jazz: Yeah! Wha'chu thinkin'? Meanie.) I did giggle at your review, though (Jazz: Hey! Traitor!)

**Supergirlprime:** Yup, Prime's fallin' hard. And the drone, Socius, is a bit more than a body-guard, but you will see that in time. Yes, Shockwave knows that she was a cybercat. He just doesn't know that Prime was her owner. He thinks she was owned by a random mech. Moon is around 19 or 20 in maturity. She lives with her parents because it is customary for femmes to remain near their mech-creator until they mate, so that they can be properly protected. This tradition was embraced by Wrecker-folk and Seekers than any others because of the close bonds formed in those groups.

**DragonCrazed:** Well… thanks for the review anyways, even if you had nothing to say ;D

**Gemava:** True, that. Moon and ravage should meet up next chapter, so look forward to it in anticipation. :)


	17. Primus, I'm such a Klutz

1) By Primus, what is this? An update this early? Guess you guys will be happy XD And this one's so LONG too!

2) Jazz is in no way deterred or slowed down by the happenings in this chapter. You will understand as you read through it.

3) This chapter wrote itself, so I'm sorry for any strange happenings.

4) I can't think of anything else to write. So... happy readings! It's midnight here, so Imma go sleep.

* * *

><p>Chapter 17<p>

Primus, I'm such a klutz

* * *

><p>I could do this.<p>

Honestly, I could.

I had never really thought that something like this could be so difficult.

Primus, it was just a door. Either knock, or press the buzzer. Easy, right?

There wasn't even much movement to achieve this. Just move my arm and press a button.

So _why_ was it so _slaggin'_ _hard_?

"I understand that you likely have some strange reason for your hesitation, but I'm going to be honest with you about this. The Prime will not answer the door if you do not knock, and that door will not inform Prime of your arrival unless you do something."

"Socius, you aren't helping my case." I had been standing in front of Prime's door for at least a breem. Socius was standing at my pedes, and he was in no way hiding his thoughts on my hesitance. He had been more than willing to inform me of my cowardice. Apparently, a femme who nearly died in battle shouldn't be this hesitant in doing a simple task like knocking on a door. A task like this was too simple for me to be hesitating like a guilty turbo pup. That made my nose twitch in irritation. I was _not_ a turbo pup. Turbo pups were loud and needy. I was quiet and self-supporting.

"Mistress, I simply cannot understand your uncertainty. The Prime invited you, correct?"

"…Yeeeees," I replied slowly.

"Then there is no reason to waver," the drone said matter-a-factly.

"Yeah, but what if he sends me away? What if he's busy, and I'm interrupting his work? What if I annoy him, and he never tells me? What if-"

"Silence!" Socius snapped. I started at his commanding tone. When had my drone become so forceful… What's more, when did I become so submissive? He was a drone. Why was I yielding to him like this when I should be chastising him? My optics narrowed slightly, and my nose twitched again, followed by that same flashing warning that informed me of my incompetent frame.

"Now, knock on the door, so that we no longer appear foolish to those walking past us." I scowled when I immediately obeyed. Dear Primus, what was going on? Moreover, why was my processor telling me that this was right? That I was supposed to be a slave under this drone? Surely, my mind didn't think the drone was an authority figure.

The shuffling of footsteps interrupted my thoughts. I almost giggled. It kind of sounded like Prime was running to the door. But, no, that couldn't be right. Somebot as dignified as Prime wasn't going to rush to answer the door for somebot as low-class as _me_. I was a _Wrecker_, after all. A second later, the door was hissing open.

"Moonstrike," Prime greeted in a strangely breathy voice. I cocked my head. He must have had a glitch in his venting system. I'd mention it to Ratchet next solar cycle when I visited him. The last thing I wanted was for Prime to crash, and it be my fault for not mentioning it to the medic. "Please, come in."

"Thanks, Prime," I said with a smile. As I glanced down at Socius, who proceeded me into the housing unit, I tried to calm my thrumming spark. Why was I getting so worked up? It was just Optimus. I had shared a housing unit with him for more than three solar cycles, and not once had my spark sped up. So why now? I shook my helm and smiled up at Prime as I passed him.

"It's weird seeing your housing unit from this height," I commented, trying to make some sort of conversation.

"I believe the difference in height must be astronomical," he replied as he moved into his office. A scowl flitted across my face when I peered in and saw him studying a datapad. Did he seriously invite me over so that I could sit in his _library_ while he worked? How rude! I huffed lightly in irritation and suddenly wished I had a tail to flick to show my ire.

Wait. I wanted a _tail_? I took a surprised step back. Why the slag would my processor want me to have a _tail_? My logic center whirred to life, but I forced it back offline. The last thing I wanted to do was glitch in Optimus Prime's front hallway. My cheek plating glowed blue at the very thought.

"Optimus Prime," a deep, mechanical voice called out. I looked down to where Socius had been only to find that the drone was no longer standing beside me, but was rolling himself toward Prime's large desk. Optimus looked up to find the source of the unfamiliar mech voice, his battle computer onlining and preparing to protect the femme present in the room if need be. All those protocols offlined when he realized that he had been addressed by a simple drone.

"Yes," he answered, feeling more than a little ridiculous speaking to a non-sentient creature.

"Etiquette protocols have been written into my core programming, and it has come to my attention that you are ignoring a protocol. As it has been seen, working in the presence of a guest is rude unless the guest is directly affected by that work."

Optimus shuttered, then unshuttered his optics. Had he just gotten an etiquette lesson from a _drone_? Primus, _who_ programmed _etiquette_ into their working drones? He looked up at me, but I was too busy rubbing my offline optics with my thumb and pointer digit. My _drone_ had just lectured thePrime on etiquette. My_ drone_ had lectured the _Prime_ on etiquette. Why me, primus?

"I must agree with you," Prime's velvet voice concurred. My helm snapped up, and I watched in surprise as Prime rose from his chair and walked toward me. Well, I got my wish: Prime wasn't working. However, that wish just turned into a nightmare: Prime was planning on spending time with me. Slag! What do I do, what do I do?

"Come with me, Moonstrike. I will show you to the library. I believe I found a few books you would like." I flushed bright blue when he took me hand and strung it through the crook of his arm. Socius was trailing behind us at a distance, as if watching Prime to ensure his decency. "So did you finish that other data?" I squeaked in surprise at his sudden words. Primus, I was wound so tight.

"Y-yeah. I, um, finished it last lunar cycle," I informed him as we stepped through the library doors.

"You like history, don't you?" Prime asked, gazing curiously at me.

"Yes," I replied, nodding. "I find it rather remarkable how the past repeats itself. I figure if I know about history, I might know what to do when it repeats itself again."

"You fear another war." The statement came out of nowhere, and Prime resisted the urge to slap himself. _Why_ had he brought up the war? It wasn't a secret that it was a sore spot for most Cybertronians. Needless to say, he was surprised when I actually replied.

"Yes. I may be a Wrecker, but I do not enjoy killing."

"But Wreckers-"

"-Love to kill? Yes. So that means I have to kill more to keep my parents from being embarrassed before the other Wreckers. Primus forbid they have a daughter that's soft-sparked." Prime frowned. _'How did she survive with that attitude?'_

"So you were forced into the role of a killer," Prime summarized. I gave him a dark and self-deprecating smile.

"Don't get me wrong, Prime. I could've stopped whenever I wanted to. The thing is… I was _good_ at killing, and I was raised around it. So as time passed, and I got better, killing didn't seem as bad. That's what scares me. I don't want to be a monster."

"What was your function in the war?" Prime asked on a curious whim. My grin turned feral.

"I did multiple things. I was primarily a sniper because my femme-creator didn't like me going behind enemy lines. However, when I was seriously needed, I was a pretty good saboteur. I was no Jazz, but I was close enough. Well, at least, as long as I didn't get caught."

"You were caught?" Prime asked, a frown marring his features. I rubbed the back of my helm sheepishly as I moved away from Prime to lean on the shelf.

"Yeah. Once. Arcee, Springer, Topspin, and Roadbuster came in, guns blazing, and completely tore down the Decepticon base that was holding me. It was… actually embarrassing, yet funny at the same time."

"…Embarassing and…funny? Being held captive in a Decepticon base?" Prime repeated, incredulous. I nodded.

"Yes. They were gonna torture me, then I let slip that my parents were Wreckers. I didn't see another 'con until the other Wreckers arrived. And that was because the con thought that he'd get off easy if he was cowering behind me. He didn't like fighting anyway."

"And did he get off easy?" Optimus questioned, looking rather intrigued. I smiled softly. That had been one of my first run-ins with Riprage. The mech had been a few orns from being transferred into his adult frame, being only a few vorns younger than me. His sister, Streamshot, spent a lot of her time in the brig "guarding" me. In reality, we had been getting closer together. I found out that she and her brother had been created by two Decepticons, thus making them 'cons without a choice. Riprage wasn't too upset about this. Though he didn't enjoy the needless killing or the pain-filled screams, he liked his position as a feared mech. Or at least, he _thought_ other bots were afraid of him.

"Yes, actually. He and his sister were brigged for a little while before they were adopted into the Wrecker family."

"And you are their friend?" Optimus prodded.

"Yes. I believe you met them both, too. Streamshot and Riprage. They were putting up datas in the Garden Preservation Area." Optimus cocked his helm.

"That femme didn't seem like an ex-Decepticon," he noted.

"That's because Streamshot is really, _really_ bad at being mean." That and she found out that Jazz doesn't like Decepticon-esque femmes. Prime chuckled at my statement, causing my knees to go a little weak. Primus, what was_ happening_ to me?

"You do not seem like the kind of femme to spend time with bad company," Prime claimed. My audio receptors rose in curiosity. Wait. My audio receptors… couldn't move… I frowned. I needed to contact Chemical. We needed to see Soundwave.

"What is wrong?" a voice asked right in front of me. I looked up and found Prime standing right in front of me.

"Oh, Primus!" I gasped, startled, and I jumped back a little to put distance between us. I hit the datapad shelves and lost my balance when the disturbance made the shelf lean backward. I squeaked when I started falling over, unable to find balance when the shelf started toppling over behind me. Prime grabbed my arm in an attempt to stop my fall. However, my weight pulled him off-balance as well. There were multiple crashes as the datapads dropped from the other side of the shelf, then one last resounding crash as the shelf hit the ground with me on top of it and Prime on top of me. The ruckus that seemed to take forever actually only lasted a few kliks, and I was quickly aware of our position. I was on my back on top of the shelf, and Prime was on top of me, my face pressed into his chest armor. ((Please don't read into that too much. Chest armor, not spark chamber.)) Our legs were tangled together, and arms were entwined as we both attempted to get up.

And of course, that was the moment when Jazz came sweeping into the housing unit. We only had a klik of warning before the saboteur appeared in the library doorway.

"Hey, Prime. I 'eard tha' ya were gonna be 'ere, an' ya weren' in ya office, so I thought tha ya migh' be," Jazz had been yelling as he walked through the house. Then he walked into the library door. His visor flicked up, and Jazz studied us through shocked optics. "Uhhh…" he said eloquently. I was surprised. That was probably the first time the smooth mech was speechless. "Am I… interrupt'n somethin'?"

"I-we-Moonstrike and I-you-and," Optimus spluttered. "It's not what it looks like!" he finally cried.

"I'm sure it ain't. I noticed ya ain't movin', eithuh." I squeaked when Prime rolled off me, destroying the end of the shelf. I groaned as I sat up. "Dang, Prime. She sure seems worn-"

"Finish that thought, and I _will_ sic my creators on you," I threatened darkly as I allowed Prime to help me to my pedes.

"I was jus' sayin' tha' ya might'a hurt yaself when ya were fallin'," Jazz said smoothly, holding his hands up in surrender.

"That's what I thought," I mumbled.

"Tha' don' mean I ain't gonna use it fo' future blackmail," Jazz added.

"I will kill you slowly," I snarled. Socius appeared by my pedes as I stepped away from the wreckage with Prime's assistance.

"Mistress, may I have permission to scan you to ensure that no damage was dealt to your frame during the fall?" Socius requested.

"During the fall or _before_ the fall?" Jazz interjected, flashing his right optic mischievously. I picked up a fallen datapad and chunked it at Jazz. "Whoa! Stop _throwin'_ things! Ya might hurt s'mebot like tha'!" Jazz exclaimed.

"That's kind of my goal!" I hissed. I looked away from the teasing bot and laid optics on the mess I had inadvertently made. "Oh, Primus," I whispered. I looked at Prime apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Optimus Prime. I can pay for all this."

"There's no need," Prime said quickly.

"No, there's no way I can let this go. Primus, at least twenty of those have to be broken," I mumbled, crouching down to study the fallen pads. Primus, I was such a klutz.

"Hey, li'l lady. No worries. I got a progr'm tha' c'n transfer info'mation fr'm one datapad t' anothuh. Don' stress it." I looked over at Jazz and nodded.

"If you say so…" I mumbled. My spark felt like it was in my pedes. Jazz sauntered over to me and crouched down beside me, throwing an arm around my shoulders as he did. I registered the sound of an angrily revving engine and squeezed my optics shut. Prime must've found a data that he needed. Primus, he must be so mad at me. He was just too nice to be honest about his ire. My internal fans clicked on to compensate for my spark, which was heating up in distress.

"Moon?" Jazz murmured, having heard my fans online. I felt Jazz rub my back reassuringly, and that angry rev grew. Suddenly, the room seemed too small and too crowded. I had to get away. I had to get away. He was so angry with me. What had I done? I surged to my feet and rushed from the room, picking up Socius as I moved.

"Moonstrike!" Prime called after me, and I could hear the hidden ire in his voice. He was so mad at me! I'd have to talk to Chem. Maybe he could help me find a way to make it up to him, to make this right. I felt Socius climb over my shoulder and attach himself to my back strut as I exited Prime's housing unit and sprinted down the street. I gasped and stumbled a little when I suddenly felt a needle insert itself into the port at the base of my neck. Firewalls flew up without hesitation, attempting to protect my processor from the invading programs.

"Allow me access to your systems," Socius ordered. Just like that, my body took down all firewalls. What the slag! I felt and heard something transforming into my back and sensed the transformation protocol activating. My spark hammered as I continued running, heading toward Iacon Square. I had to get away. I had to fade into the crowd.

My vision flickered momentarily. My head was pounding, and my spark was working double time in my chest as I sprinted through the alleyways of lower-town Iacon. The light of one of Cybertron's moons reflected off my sky blue armor as I ran. The three mechs laughed and hooted behind me as they chased after me. My frightened blue optics took in the walls blocking my escape, trying to find a break in them. Why couldn't I have programmed as a flyer? Then I wouldn't be the one running. Heck, my mech creator was going to offline me when he found out that I went this way, anyways. He warned me about these mechs, but I _had_ to take the shortcut. Opiluk hated when I got home late.

My intakes hitched when I saw an opening in one of the walls. Maybe it would lead to a busy street! I forced my feet to pump faster. I could do this. When the new alley broke off, I skidded a little as I changed direction to the right. I was venting heavily as I hurried down the alley. Doors lined the wall, but I was positive all of them were locked, and if they weren't, I wasn't stopping to check. Not with the other three catching up with me. I gave a gasp and stopped short. A dead end. No. This couldn't be happening.

"Hey, femme! Lookie who decided to stop running, mechs," a male voice called out. I whirled around with a frightened gasp. The three were now fanned out in front of me, and they were beginning to close in. The one in the middle with black armor and deep red optics was the one who had spoken.

"Leave me alone," I ordered. "The war is over."

"This war will never be over as long as there are Decepticons that refuse to bow down to the Prime," the one on the left with red armor claimed.

"Optimus Prime is a great leader and the reason this war had ended," I shot back, angered that these mechs would dare insult my leader.

"I hate repeating myself, _Autobot_," the same mech on the left spat.

"And I hate mechs that insult my noble leader's name!" I hissed.

"Optimus Prime is not the correct leader. Megatron is," the silver-armored mech on the right snapped.

"Long live Optimus Prime!" I roared. A loud battle cry rose from the three mechs, and I didn't have time to even compute moving before I was sent flying into a wall by a blast from a plasma cannon. I bounced off the wall and was immediately aware of an overwhelming pain in my side. A second later, all three mechs were kicking me as I curled up in a fetal position in a feeble attempt to defend myself. One didn't have to think too much to see that they were trying to break my spark chamber with brutal force. Whimpers and grunts of pain escaped me, but I refused to cry out. I had to escape. I had to get away!

My head was pounding, and my spark was working double time in my chest as I sprinted through the alleyways of lower-town Iacon. The light of one of Cybertron's moons reflected off my sky blue armor as I ran. The three mechs laughed and hooted behind me as they chased after me. My frightened blue optics took in the walls blocking my escape, trying to find a break in them. Why couldn't I have programmed as a flyer? Then I wouldn't be the one running. Heck, my mech creator was going to offline me when he found out that I went this way, anyways. He warned me about these mechs, but I _had_ to take the shortcut. Opiluk hated when I got home late.

My intakes hitched when I saw an opening in one of the walls. Maybe it would lead to a busy street! I forced my feet to pump faster. I could do this. When the new alley broke off, I skidded a little as I changed direction to the right. I was venting heavily as I hurried down the alley. Doors lined the wall, but I was positive all of them were locked, and if they weren't, I wasn't stopping to check. Not with the other three catching up with me. I gave a gasp and stopped short. A dead end. No. This couldn't be happening.

* * *

><p>He was late. He was really, really late. Both of them were late, actually; however, Bumblebee could possibly pull off the innocent look better than he could. After all, he was known for his responsibility. It wasn't even his fault, either! He had been explaining the better aspects of Earth's mountainous terrain to Bumblebee, and time had simply escaped him.<p>

So now, Hound and Bumblebee were sprinting through the center of Iacon Square, trying to get around the multiple bodies without shoving anybot, in a, no doubt, vain attempt to make it to the Detective and Investigative Office, or the DIO. Bumblebee's scouting past made the Investigative part possible, and Hound's impeccable sleuthing and searching skills made the detective part possible. The DIO was run by four bots, including Hound and Bumblebee. Note was the secretary, and she was a darn good one, if Hound said so himself. Highjack ran the legal side of things. He had to check the background of their clients to ensure that the job was legal and wasn't going to end in somebot getting murdered. It was actually a pretty busy career for all four of them, but they got by pretty easily, seeing as every bot working there actually enjoyed their job.

A job two certain scouts were late for.

"Ah'm sorreh, Bee! Ah'll leht Note know it whuz awll mah fahlt!" Hound called out to the yellow scout in his heavily accented voice. The only reply he received was an amused snort, followed by what sounded like a worried whir. Hound looked over at the spot that Bee had been occupying as they ran side-by-side, only to see that the scout was no longer beside him, but had deviated from his path in favor of dashing toward an alleyway.

"Bee! We don' have time for this!" Hound called after him as he stopped. Bee ignored the hunter green mech and continued running toward the alley. Hound gave an exasperated sigh before jogging after the yellow bot. "Bee, we gotta get back ta work. Note's gonna make shawt work a' us. Buhsides, wha's got you awll worked…up." Hound's optics flashed, and he trailed off when he laid optics on the femme before them. The femme was sitting with her back to the alleywall, and she was hugging her knees to her chassis as her optics stared unseeingly in front of her. Tremors wracked her frame, and she was rocking back and forth as she mumbled pleads for help under her breath. "Primus."

"I've seen this before in tortured bots," Bumblebee murmured in a clipped, mildly accented voice.

"Post traumatic stress. Something has caused her processor to go into a repetitive visual feed loop. What caused it, though, and how do we snap her out of it?" Hound murmured. Bumblebee shrugged as he moved closer to the femme.

"Comm Ratchet," Bumblebee ordered as he knelt down in front of the femme. "Madam? Can you hear me?" He was a bit put out when she didn't reply. He had definitely seen this before, but each time, Ratchet or another medic had been there to sedate the bot and repair the damage. So what did he need to do to at least stop this poor femme's suffering?

"My mistress is currently unable to reply. I sent out a distress signal to her appointed medic exactly 1.27362 breems ago, when the loop began." Bumblebee jumped at the unexpected voice and peered a little over the femme's shoulder to see the white optics of a drone peering back at him. "ETA: .53628 breems."

"Well, slag. She must be prehtty uppuh-crust ta have uh drone like tha'," Hound murmured appreciatively. Such drones were rarely made anymore, seeing as very few bots could afford them.

"I was a gift to my mistress from a close friend. Who are you two?" the drone demanded.

"Ah'm Hound, and this 'ere is Bumblebee," Hound stated. "Ya don' hafta worreh. We're nice folk, an' we ain' gonna hurt ya mistress."

"Even if you desired to cause her injury, you would not be able to. I am charged with her protection. I know of your past allegiance and have labeled your level of danger accordingly," the drone stated, rather intelligently. Hound shuttered his optics in shock. This drone almost seemed like it had a _personality_. How strange. It was probably just preprogrammed responses. The sound of a revving engine pulled their attention away, and the next second, a neon orange and red hover craft was gliding into the alley. The craft was small and obviously designed to be aerodynamic, having a sleek, angular top and a completely flat undercarriage. The craft suddenly started transforming, breaking down both sides as the doors shot outward. The hood on the craft flipped backward, and the undercarriage slid forward to form to arms. The main passenger area of the car broke in half down the middle, and the unknown bot raised himself up into a hand stand as the two halves formed into his legs. The doors slid under and attached themselves to the back of the chassis that rose from the internals of the craft. The unknown bot tossed himself to his pedes and stood, his helm rising up from his chassis with a clang and whir of gears. Crimson optics onlined and immediately zeroed in on the rocking femme.

"Oh, Moonstrike," he sighed, moving forward. "I was wondering when you were going to relapse." He moved forward, only to be blocked by two smaller mechs. He shuttered and unshuttered his optics in confusion. "Oh, I was being unobservant. I am Chemical, Moonstrike's physician. You are…?"

"I'm Bumblebee, and this is Hound. How do we know you are her physician?"

"No need to be so suspicious," Chemical claimed, a smile lighting his face. "It is nice that you seek to defend a defenseless femme like this, though." Chemical hummed as he shoved the two mechs away and knelt down beside his best friend.

"Get away fruhm 'er, con," Hound ordered. Chem looked back at him and gave him a disparaging look.

"I am no more your enemy than you are to Bumblebee here. The war has long finished, and I do not feel like dealing with the prejudices of you noble Autobots. What I _would_ like to do is repair my friend and take her to enhance her frame, like I promised I would." With that, Chemical turned back around and studied the femme that had become like a daughter to him. "Socius, I remember specifically telling you not to sync to her systems until I had explained to her how to control the power shift. She does not yet know how to control two minds."

"I apologize, creator. She was panicking and trying to escape a potential threat. In her haste, she was not thinking properly. I attempted a systems sync in an attempt to help her control her emotions," the drone replied, actually sounding a bit upset.

"Instead, you have thrown her into a past experience that she believes is like the one she was trying to escape. Very badly done, Socius," Chem chastised, a scowl on his usually joyful face.

"I apologize again, creator."

"Well, let's see if I can undo this mess you've caused," Chem muttered as he placed a needle into the base of Moonstrike's neck. He hummed a bouncing melody as he searched through the datastreams, and he let out a single "aha" when he found what he was looking for. "Very good. Now, we just need to wait." Chem stood easily and stared down the two ex-Autobots. "And while we're waiting, you two can explain how you found this femme. I need to know who caused her so much distress."

* * *

><p><strong>Gemava: <strong>Right now, she transforms into a little sports cars. Think Lotus Elise. The appendages won't get in the way, either, cuz Soundwave's gonna be putting it together, and he's nothing if not meticulous. Good luck with your computer. Ya know, you're the six or seventh person I've talked to who has computer issues right now? Huh. Go figure…

**Rapidfeather:** My sister giggled at your misfortune. Just so you know. I don't know why falling on a dead mouse is funny to her, but it is… Weird child. And don't worry. Nobot's gonna try to kill Moonstrike. Yet.

**Vivian Hale:** O.o Your experience with Insight does seem disturbing… And now ya know that they used to be cons. Bet ya didn't see _that_ one coming. XD

**Amai Seishin-Hime: **D: Sad day. I work out a lot, mainly because I'm one of those weird people that actually likes working out, so I stay pretty fit. Chem is pretty adorable. Kind of like a puppy. Well, not in this chapter. You inda got to meet serious Chemical today. I just got my lobes done again. I'll probably just put band-aids over them. The main worry is that when you're stunting, if you get hit just right, your earring might pierce through the skin on your neck, or the earring may be ripped out of your ear. So it's just a rule that we wear no jewelry.

**Dark-dreams-of-love:** XD Yeah, I can actually see that. XD Thanks for reviewing.

**Moment-Of-Reason: **Plotting Jazz is the best. It's fun hopping into his processor. XD Thanks for reviewing.

**Bee-roxs98:** I think there are many bots that contemplate murdering Jazz. Too bad he's such an asset XD I'm glad that you look forward to this story's updates. I really never thought it'd be this famous!

**Random Reader:** Indeed. Jazz doesn't understand how famous he is. And there was your it's-not-what-it-looks-like. And don't worry. It comes back to haunt them. *evil chuckle* Ya know, I never really liked Shockwave because (and only because) he didn't have a mouth. See, in DotM, I thought he was cool (even if her had those mandible things. At least it was _something_) His voice was pretty epic, though.

**Diamond White:** I left it like that because I knew I'd be able to update sooner than Saturday. *sigh8 the joys of Thanksgiving Breaks.

**Luna636:** Yeah, Jazz is gonna get in over his head. Mind you, he hasn't given up on these two. Now, because of the moment he just happened to walk in, he's gonna be even more determined (cuz Jazz is just that way) I pity any two bots that catch his attention in that way. He'd run the best match-making business.

**Leonixon:** LOL. I would've reacted like Streamshot. I basically channeled my inner fangirl and just… had at it. And yes… Jazz + "brilliant ideas" = lots of trouble. Prime is royally screwed.

**Luna Prime- Awesomness:** The world may never know… =.=

**Autobot-Bre:** Yes, Riprage has a bit of a crush, and I suppose this chapter helped explain why.

**Supergirlprime:** Most definitely. That sinking feeling is there… for a reason… Let's put it this way: Jazz is about to get an accomplice.

**AlexisOptimus:** Your feeling is correct. They gotta keep their arms and legs inside the vehical and prepare for the long and wild ride. XD

**Leah:** Thanks for the compliments and for the review. :)

**Nightmaskedfemme:** Mm-hm. Jazz is on the job! Just gotta get past the next chapter.

**Jinxed just in Time:** LOL Jazz forgives you. XD He's being a bit of a spazz right now. (Jazz: Hey! Don'chu talk like tha' b'hind mah back!) Thank you for your compliments :)

**Shinigami-Sama1:** Thank you for your compliments. Yes, the mech that broke into Prime's house was the sibling. I'll go into his story pretty soon, along with his sister's. Yep, Prime's got some denial issues right now. Jazz and Moonstrike will help him through those… as soon as moon figures out that she has a crush on him as well… I always thought ravage would make a good creator, so I had a lot of fun writing that part out. Thank you for your review and your wishes of luck :)

**XLizardXQueenX:** XD Sometime last month, my teacher walked up to the board and wrote:

Optimus = seven letters

Seven = Prime number

Optimus = Prime

Your mind = blown

Needless to say, our class broke into applause. It was _pretty_ awesome. LOL. I don't know whether to be guilty or overjoyed to have distracted you from that class with my writing. ^^'

**WarriorKat21:** He sure is gonna try. XD He's about to get some help, too. XD I love standing out. Be a salmon. Go against the flow. :D

* * *

><p>Well, y'all got a taste of Streamshot and Riprage's past, and y'all got a little more insight into that coding (which will make sense later, I swear). Y'all even got to meet the more serious side of Chemical. Just wait until someone finally pisses him off. All y'all will be surprised. :)<p> 


	18. Bad Feelings, New Friends, and Love Guru

1) Sorry it's late. My "T" key kept sticking yesterday, so i stopped typing before I gave into the urge to throw my laptop across the room.

2) I watched DotM again, end everytime i see it, my heart burns with hate for Carly. Does anyone else think she made Sam a Mary-Sue? Mikaela was unbelievable enough, but seriously? A model-worthy girl dating a bum who can't get a job and thinks he saved the world with a bunch of robots (In the movie, she even says, "I believe you saved the world" then "I didn't mind your save-the-world stories because they were only that: stories.") Primus, I kinda wanna stab her. Repeatedly.

3) I did some Youtube surfing and found a video of Heidi Montag trying out for TF3. She looks like an idiot. Then Ashton Kutcher and Sir Ben Kingsley made videos to make fun of her. Y'all should _totally_ check them out. Hilarious. XD

4) That's all for now. Happy reading

* * *

><p>Chapter 18<p>

Bad feelings, new friends, and love gurus

* * *

><p>Something was wrong.<p>

This was the first thing that went through my processor as it whirred online. Something was wrong, and I had no way to correct it. But I _needed_ to find out how to correct it. My mind seemed to stall and replay that one statement over again. I needed to correct it.

But what was wrong?

My optics flicked online, and I was greeted by the walls of an alleyway. My processor blanked as I tried to remember how I got here. I could remember being chased by three Decepticons… but that made no sense, because after I escaped them with Prowl, I became a cybercat. I could remember all that. I frowned as I backtracked in my memory files. Then it hit me.

My processor had gotten stuck in a memory loop. It was something I had seen among troubled soldiers found by my parents. Something random would trigger a memory of a traumatic experience, then the processor would get stuck on that memory and replay over and over again until a medic shut down the poor soldier's processor. I must have gotten stuck in that memory after I felt like I was being chased. But why was I being chased…?

My cheek plating flushed blue. Because I had knocked over Prime's datapad shelf and destroyed some of his datapads. Primus, how was I ever supposed to show my faceplate to him?

"Ah, she's awake," a young, accented voice called. I looked up and met optics with a young yellow mech with baby blue optics. I glanced past him and saw Chemical walking toward me with a dark green mech beside him. I immediately focused in on Chemical.

"Chem? What happened? Who are these two mechs?" I asked. "Where's Socius?"

"I am right here, mistress," said a voice right by my audio receptor. I frowned as I ran a quick system's check.

"Chem, I have extra transformation coding," I noted, honestly concerned.

"Yes. That was my fault. Socius took his directive a bit too far. In an attempt to repair your memory loop, he linked up to your systems. As such, he has gained your spark resonance…" Chem trailed off uneasily as he let me soak that up. I frowned. If Chem was being this serious, then something was really wrong. I let my logic systems work and unravel his last statement. He was linked to my systems with my spark reso…nance…

"I have a symbiote!" I screeched. My emotions swirled around in a confused mess. Horror, terror, excitement, confusion, anger, and frustration. "Where the slag am I supposed to store him?" Chem frowned.

"We'll talk about that when we get to our…" He glanced over at the two ex-Autobots. "…destination."

"And just what am I supposed to tell my creators? Having a drone is one thing. Having a symbiote is _another_!"

"Tell them while you're explaining your upgrades. Slag, a symbiote _is_ an upgrade!" Chem reasoned.

"Chem, have you _met_ my creators?" I asked in exasperation.

"Slag, no! I was a Decepticon, remember? Your creators are very much bigoted against my kind!" Chem informed me as he lifted Socius off my shoulder. "And besides, I avoid Wreckers at all costs."

"Your creators are Wreckers?" the yellow mech asked. I smiled at him.

"Yup. The best of the best. Arcee and Springer." The mech's optics widened.

"Arcee? I've worked with her! The Battle of Tyger Pax," the mech exclaimed, though his voice quieted to a whisper at the last sentence.

"So _you're_ Bumblebee?" I asked, then I frowned. "I'd thought you'd be older." Bumblebee's optics dimmed irritably, and his door-wings went rigid.

"I'll have you know that I was one of the only survivors of that battle," he mumbled. My optics widened in embarrassment.

"I meant no offense! It's just that I had just gotten into my youngling body that vorn, and Arcee spent time telling me about the yellow scout that survived with her and held off Megatron."

"Oh," Bumblebee replied, slightly mollified. "Arcee never spoke of you."

"Arcee and Springer tried with all their power to keep me a secret. It wouldn't do for the Decepticons to know that the Wreckers had a potential weakness, and Ultra Magnus did _not_ want Prime knowing that they were raising a youngling femme."

"An' that makes plenty a' sense," Hound put in with a nod. Chemical scowled uncharacteristically, and I cocked my head when he started lifting me to my pedes.

"Come, Moon. I just got a comm. He has a meeting later, and needs to see you before he has to leave," Chem said shortly as he started leading me away. I frowned at him and looked over my shoulder to wave at my new friends.

"I'll see you around! Nice to meet you!" I called back as Chem pulled me out of the alleyway.

"Nice to meet you," Bumblebee replied.

"You take care a' yaself and stay outta trouble, ya hear?" Hound called out good-naturedly.

"I will," I called back, then I gave Chemical a withering look. "Was it really necessary to drag me away like that?"

"Moonstrike, they are Autobots," Chem replied, as if that answered everything.

"Yeah, and so am I," I retorted as Chem pulled me down a nearly deserted part of upper Iacon. It was a place where the extremely rich and the extremely anti-social people thrived.

"Moonstrike, you are more than just an Autobot now," Chemical said on a sigh. That sinking feeling returned, and I suddenly felt like something was wrong again. That certain something that I couldn't fix.

"Chem… you're scaring me," I whispered. The eccentric mech frowned deeply and shook his helm.

"Now is not the time. Just understand, I do everything for you and the people of Cybertron," Chem said ominously. I vented heavily at the mech's need for theatricality.

"Chem, just say what you mean," I snapped irritably.

"Child, I no longer have the freedom of speech. Speaking like this… already he might know. When the time comes, everything will be revealed." With that, Chem pulled me up to the doorstep and sounded the buzzer. There was a moment of utter silence before a speaker beside the door onlined.

"State designation and reason for approach," Soundwave's voice ordered.

"It's Chemical. I've brought the femme I told you about." The door hissed open, and I hesitantly followed Chem as he trooped into the dimly lit housing unit. The entry hall was narrow, and only every other light was on, giving the hall an eerie glow. After about six yards, the hall broke into a four way intersection. I glanced down each intersection as we kept going straight. Maybe ten feet past the intersection, the hall turned abruptly right and a set of stairs led underground. I shivered at the thoughts of bots who could've been tortured down here. Chem wouldn't let him torture me, would he…? I shivered again.

"Mistress, there is no need to be alarmed. Soundwave and Chem are going to help you," Socius said. I winced at how creepy his voice sounded. Primus, I felt like it was a conspiracy! What if Socius was in on this, too?

I mentally shook my head. I was psyching myself out. Chem was my friend, and Socius was my drone… symbiote… And Soundwave hadn't harmed a bot since the end of the war. There was no reason for him to start out now.

Unless Prime was so angry that he told Soundwave to punish me! My logic center sputtered in confusion at that thought. As if _Optimus Prime_ would send me to be tortured. Sure, he was probably very angry with me, and yeah, I'd probably never be able to show myself in his presence again, but I didn't think he was capable of that.

"Greetings, Chemical. Moonstrike," a monotonous voice greeted. My helm popped up, and I realized that we had reached an underground lab. In reality, the lab wasn't much different than Chemical's. It was lined with cabinets and shelves, and had two berth-size tables. Against the back wall was a large computer screen that appeared to be extremely high-tech, and in the middle of it all stood Soundwave, tall and intimidating.

"Hi," I squeaked out as I took a small step behind Chem. My movements, I was sure, was not unnoticed. Nobody said anything, though.

"Ravage: eject," Soundwave ordered. His chest plate dropped to allow the cassette freedom. The familiar cat-like mech transformed mid-air and landed on the berth beside me.

"_Yes, my master?"_ Ravage asked in a growling voice. I gasped in surprise as I moved closer to the cat-former. Ravage, in turn, growled lowly at me. I frowned.

"_Don't be angry,"_ I pleaded._ "I know you don't recognize me, but I _do_ know you."_

"So you still speak a cybercat's language," Chem noted. He looked over at Soundwave. "You were right. Her language center still can translate cybercat language." I slowly turned my helm to Chemical and gave him a withering glare.

"So help me, Chem, if you make me an experiment, I'll tell on you," I threatened darkly.

"Yes, yes, I know," Chem replied absently as he moved to Soundwave's side. "This is the data I collected from the drone project. You should know that the drone synced up to her systems."

"Statement: acknowledged. Drone: approach." I felt Socius drop from my shoulder and hear him land on his pedes. The small mech slowly rolled forward, skating a bit on his small wheels.

"My designation is Socius," the drone claimed. Soundwave nodded once.

"Primary function," Soundwave demanded.

"Primary function: protect femme Moonstrike."

"From who?"

"Answer classified. I may only speak about this with Moonstrike and Chemical. Outside receptors are unsafe."

"Acknowledged. Define status with Moonstrike," Soundwave commanded evenly, not even missing a beat.

"Status: symbiotic drone," Socius replied.

"Energon signature: familiar. Why is this?"

"Answer: unknown." Soundwave was silent for a few kliks as he debated whether or not to continue this conversation. In the end, he decided that the venture was not worth it. Instead, he turned to me.

"Moonstrike: approach," he ordered, holding out a servo, palm up, to me. I grimaced as I stepped around Chemical and moved slowly toward the cassette deck. I gingerly put my hand in his and had to swallow back a squeak when his hand wrapped around mine. He gently tugged me toward a berth and motioned me up.

"W-wait," I stuttered. "What are you planning to do…?"

"Objective: collect data from processor. Procedure: quick and painless."

"If you're sure…" I said uneasily as I hopped onto the berth. I slowly lay back, only starting a little when Soundwave plugged a plug into a port at the base of my neck. My last thought before I slipped offline was '_I hope this works'._

* * *

><p>Jazz grimaced as he walked through the streets of Iacon, searching for his recently disappeared femme friend. Who would've thought knocking over a few data shelves would've shaken her up so much? Jazz hadn't really appreciated the dark glare sent to him by Optimus Prime when she left, either. As if it his fault she fled! And fled she had. Primus, he had never seen a bot run that fast! Well, except for Sideswipe when Ironhide was chasing him that one time… and Blur… and Bumblebee when Sam found out the mech used the poor kid's allowance on carwashes… Okay, he'd never seen a <em>femme<em> run that fast before. And it was away from him, too! How many femmes ever ran from the Jazz-man?

None. That's how many. Absolutely none.

Now, Jazz was trying without success to find the Prime's intended. Of course, Optimus didn't quite know that Moonstrike was his intended, and Jazz was fairly certain Moonstrike didn't know, either, but Jazz _did_ know that Primus made them for each other. So now, he had to find her before she spent the rest of the orn hiding from them.

That was the worst-case scenario.

Jazz was really, _really_ hoping this was going to just blow over. He didn't know why she fritzed in the library. She had seemed perfectly fine when they were speaking. It frustrated the mech that he couldn't figure out what spooked her. After all, he was _the_ Jazz, and _the_ Jazz was _well-known_ for his ability to notice the little things. He strode slowly out of Iacon Square, looking all over for a certain sky blue femme.

"Hey, Jazz!" The solstice froze when he heard his designation. His visor lit up as he looked around. Suddenly, he was tackled by a red blur. Age old spy instincts kicked in, and a rarely-used battle computer whirred to life. He rolled into the tackle, so that the attacker would receive the brunt of it instead. Twin wrist blades lifted from his weapons subspace and melded with his armor with the help of a long-neglected weapons transformation cog. Jazz used the momentum of the roll to end up on top of the attacker and prepared to slice the opposing force's faceplates off as he straddled whoever it was. All of this happened within a klik's span.

Then his processor caught up with his actions (with the help of the many gasps, stares, and squeals from Jazz fan-femmes.), and he stared in shock at the bot he was currently straddling.

"_Sideswipe_?" Jazz asked, surprised. He realized where he was and leapt off the ex-front-liner. He subspaced his weapons and glared at the laughing red bot.

"Primus, Jazz! A bit uptight?" he chortled from his position on the ground.

"Yeah, laugh it up, slagguh," Jazz mumbled as he turned to walk away.

"Hey, wait up!" Sideswipe called after him. Jazz sighed long-sufferingly as he slowed only minutely for the prankster. Sideswipe wheeled to his side and grinned down at the bot that used to be his superior officer, as well as his pranking partner. "How's it been?" Jazz looked at him from the corner of his visor.

"Pretty good. I go' mah ol' job back, so I get ta travel a lot."

"Ahhh."

"An' you? Ya finally ge' a job tha' doesn' include tradin' illegally or tearin' bots limb fr'm limb?"

"Oh, please, Jazz. You of all bots should know that the gladiator circuit isn't back up yet," Sideswipe chastised with a grin.

"Yeah," Jazz said dryly. "'Ow could I fo'get?"

"No reason to get snippy," Sideswipe stated, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "So what're ya doing around here?"

"Prime needs help," was Jazz's simple reply.

"With…?" Jazz gave an exasperated sigh and yanked Sideswipe quickly into an empty alleyway, ignoring the mechly yelp the red mech gave.

"_Prime's found 'imself a femme 'e likes. The probl'm is_," Jazz explained, switching into English just in case somebot else was listening in, "_neithuh a' them wanna admit their feelin's fo' each othuh._"

"_So you're trying to hook them up_," Sideswipe surmised.

"_Exactly_. _Bu' firs', I gotta figure ou' where the femme ran off ta."_

"_Wait, she ran away?" _

"_Yeah, we spooked 'er s'mehow. She ac'dent'lly knocked ovuh a data shelf, an' then she ran. I dunno where she went."_

"_So Prime needs help… with a femme… named…?"_

"_Moonstrike. 'Er designation is Moonstrike."_

"_Moonstrike and Optimus Prime. Optimus Prime and Moonstrike… They sound good together."_ Sideswipe rose to his full height as he grinned down at Jazz. _"Don't worry, Jazz. I've got this covered. Love Guru Sideswipe is on the case!"_ With that, Sideswipe transformed into his sleek Earthian Corvette Stingray and sped off. Jazz stared after him in horrified wonder.

What had he just unleashed?

* * *

><p><strong>Noella50881:<strong> Thanks :)

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Yup, it's always the happy-go-lucky ones you have to watch out for. *nod nod* Yeah, Socius tried to do good. I hate it when you try to do something good, then it fails and makes everything worse =.= I used to be like that (only working out when I was with someone else) but my friends kept flaking, so I just decided to work out by myself. All the cheerleaders think I'm hardcore because I run after practice. I laugh at them because when practice is over, I'm the only one not out of breath. XD I can't wear earrings because if a flyer hits my ear, the earring could pierce my neck, or the earring may even get completely ripped out of my ear. It's happened to one of my girls before. Bled like the dickens, and it was friggin' disgusting.

**WarriorKat21:** XD I was wondering how many people were going to think it was a typo. I think only three or four people commented on it, though. XD Wouldn't wanna be a square. 0.o

**Luna636:** I had fun writing out serious/scary Chem. It's the puppy-scientists ya have to watch out for the most 0.0

**Bee-roxs98:** It, indeed, came rather quickly, and would you believe, I actually have it planned for that spot in my outline. XD I'd agree with you on Socius being annoying, but I know what he's getting at, so… well, it's for me to know and you to find out ;D

**XLizardXQueenX:** Glad I could make your morning. XD And I'll tell my teacher that my readers like his deductive reasoning thing. Yeah, I wanted that in there because I needed Jazz to get a bit more involved (which he's about to thanks to a certain red mech) and… other reasons that I cannot reveal yet. ;)

**AlexisOptimus:** Ooh. I hate school. I start two weeks earlier than every other school, so I got all this week off. I definitely needed it.

**Erin Primette:**She is… for now…

**Autobot-Bre:** Angry Optimus Prime is scary period. I had just watched Dark of the Moon, so I had that creepy, "We'll kill them all" Optimus Prime in my head. ^^" I guess I could've done worse.

**Kellie Witwicky:** Yeah, that's the memory loop. I put that there so that all y'all could see that it started over at that exact point, and her processor just kept replaying that bit of memory. :)

**Supergirlprime:** Nope. She's just remembering that one attack. :( Prime's about in his 30's in this one. *nod nod* And no, there's no humans in this one. Completely Cybertron-centered. For some reason, I can't write out the humans. I suck at anyone who isn't Epps or Carly (which is weird because I hate Carly with this burning passion inside me)

**Darth Krande:** Oh, I see what you did there XD Thank you for your compliment and review.

**Rapidfeather:** … 0.o XD

**A Wiccan: **=D I love 'em, too, so I try t' surprise y'all every now and again.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Indeed, he does. Chem's the best.

**Leonixon: **XD Jazz tries. Sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he doesn't ('Ey! I c'n hear y'all!) Ignore him. And why not? Chem's so cute! And it's not like he had his own agenda… *sly smile* or does he? 0.o

**Vivian Hale:** =D I agree. At this point, _anything_ can happen. As for the programming… Perceptor will be in the next chapter with a bit of information for you. :)

**Jinxed just in Time:** He will very likely be miffed. Especially because it was decepticons she dealt with.

**Hummergrey: **Ch. 16: XD Sure, if ya need Jazz translation, I'd be glad to help. Yeah, femme needs to learn to tell the truth. I always feel sorry for Ratchet. I mean look at who his friends are.

Perceptor: Ridiculously chipper mech who uses ridiculous long words

Ironhide: Grumpy, trigger-happy mech who's joints are always breaking

Wheeljack: Ridiculously positive and chipper mech who is always blowing himself (or others) up

First Aid: Extremely soft-spoken and doesn't like violence at all (which contradicts Ratchet's wrench-throwing techniques)

Jolt: Extremely quiet and rather snobbish, yet can prank as well as Sideswipe when provoked.

Then everyone else avoids him because of his temper and penchant for wielding wrenches with rather superb aim. Poor Ratchet needs a hug (even though he'd beat you afterwards)

Ch. 17: Indeed, she hasn't done anything wrong, and Shockwave _is_ known for working in his own way with his own logic. Very true, but why would they make her obey a drone? What would they gain?

I'm glad you liked the meeting. XD I love writing moments with poor Optimus feeling awkward. And she doesn't find Optimus' private log for a long time. . Long time.

Glad you liked. :) BTW: what do you think Skywarp might do as an after-war job? I've been tossing around the idea of him returning to Vos and helping with repairs. Wha'd'ya think?

**Iceshadow911247:** Jazz _does _like his blackmail. He enjoys feeling powerful. I think it has something to do with his height (Jazz: 'Ey! I ain' short!) Quite a few people apparently got a little lost on the looping memories. I'm glad everyone seems to have figured it out, though. Oh, I was the same way. I started crying in the theatre when Jazz died. Same with Ironhide. I frowned when Megs died, because he was actually trying to make peace, and he really wanted to save Cybertron and end the war. Then Optimus was like, "No! I keel you!" -.- Sad day.

**LadyGrimR.:** XD Okay. Here's your update. =D

* * *

><p>Be seeing all y'all next week. =D<p> 


	19. The Past and the Present

1)So, my friend Tanya says that I write like a Texan. I had a very long debate over this, and decided that I would ask all y'all. If I hadn't of told y'all that I was from Texas, would y'all have known? I mean, honestly. I don't type like a Texan. I mean, it's not like I type with an accent, unless I'm typing Jazz or Hound. *nod nod*

2) Saw the new Thor with Natalie Portman, and it actually wasn't that bad.

3) Love Guru Sideswipe was quite a hit with all y'all... XD

4) This week is finals (and my research paper. Funny how she assigned it last Tuesday. i find it humorous that all the other kids in my class think five pages is unbearably long, but I'm just like, "Dudes, I write an average of fifteen pages for _one_ chapter of my story. Stop your belly-achin'!"), so I don't know if I'll be able to update next Saturday, but I'll try really hard.

5) I learned how to make chicken tetrazzini (grammy's recipe) and it was the bee's knees! Amazing. :) Super exciting, I know.

6) Imma let y'all read now.

* * *

><p>Chapter 19<p>

The Past and The Present

3003 words

* * *

><p>Optimus was frustrated. And bored. He was frustrated and bored, and he really, <em>really<em> didn't feel like having this meeting. Given, Optimus had gone into the meeting with those feelings, but they only seemed to escalate as he sat there.

Moonstrike had run away from him. It had taken him a few kliks to figure out _why_, but once he did, he felt like the worst of all knaves. His engine had been revving with angered jealousy at the mech that had the _audacity_ to put him hands anywhere near _his_ femme. However, to a femme that didn't know of his… spark's feelings (because Prime knew that they could not be his own), the revving would, no doubt, sound accusing. Prime had made his jealous ire known to the ex-saboteur through a dark glare, then he had left for the Meeting Hall.

Now, Prime was sitting on the Command Balcony with his fellow leaders as the delegates, once again, reduced themselves to name calling and cursing. Mirage, ever patient, simply glared down at the fools. Thundercracker looked much like Ratchet did whenever Sideswipe walked into the medbay. Ultra Magnus, who had shown up half-way through the meeting, was now soundly in recharge, having offlined his audio receptors. The one bot missing from the pandemonium was a specific bot that never really spoke anyways, but observed closely: Soundwave.

Prime really couldn't keep the sinking feeling from rising in his spark, though he chastised himself for that feeling. Soundwave was clean, now, and he always had a good reason to skip a meeting. However, that old Autobot instinct kept coming up, the one that tells you, "he's gone because he's planning to overthrow you." Prime had to squelch this feeling, because in all honesty, Soundwave was probably the most loyal mech in his command. Primus, he's the mech that warned Optimus about the social unrest! Now was not the time to be having doubt, not during this frail and fragile new peace they were straining to keep.

"This isn't going to work," a gentle voice suddenly said. There was a moment of silence as all bots turned to look at the speaker of this unfamiliar voice. The bot was lounged back in his seat, and a calculating expression was on his face. Optimus immediately recognized the mech as the eldest living Wrecker.

"Greetings, Kup," Optimus called out. Primus, had he invited Kup in here? His memory circuits must be failing him, because he had no memory files of Kup being elected as a delegate.

"Hey, Prime. It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Kup replied easily. Prime nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, it has. I was not aware you were a delegate," Prime claimed good-naturedly. Kup grinned.

"That's prob'ly cuz I'm not. I came to speak with Ultra Magnus when I heard this ridiculous arguing. You realize these meetings are useless, right?"

"They are necessary to discover what each City-State needs," Prime said in a reproachful voice. Kup snorted.

"But by what I observe, you ain't finding anything about their needs. You're just listening to them argue and bicker like a bunch of sparklings. Seems like a waste of time to me."

"Hey! You don't have a say here, old timer!" a delegate near the old Wrecker snapped, his red optics blazing in his anger. Kup simply raising an optic ridge.

"I was killing 'cons before you were even created. I've been the Wrecker leader for a sum of nine hundred vorns, and I only recently picked that role back up when Magnus decided to be a big-shot. Now, you learn some respect for your elders, you little slagger, or I will personally teach it to you!" The delegate shrank back, not wanting to tussle with a Wrecker, especially a Wrecker commander.

"Kup, please stop threatening the delegates," Ultra Magnus ordered on a sigh as he rubbed his optics with his thumb and pointer-digit.

"I'll threaten whoever I want to, scraplet!" Kup snapped. "Now, let's get back on topic, so I can talk to Magnus and get the slag outta here."

"The energon crisis is coming back, Prime. Our workers cannot work without energon," a delegate from Kaon stated.

"Yes, but can they not buy energon with the money they receive from their work?" Optimus questioned with a scowl. "I personally set up prices and worker payments. So unless you are withholding money from your workers, they should be able to afford energon, as well as buy many things they desire. I know because I made it so," Prime snapped. The delegate rubbed his arm awkwardly and stepped back.

"What about our supplies? I am tired of having to explain to my workers why they and their families have to recharge outside," another delegate, this time from Praxus, questioned.

"I am working to get those supplies out there. However, supplies do not just make themselves. We are in the process of refining the metals so that they do not rust in two vorns. Have patience," Optimus replied easily.

"That's easy for you to say! Iacon is almost completed!" the delegate from Tarn yelled.

"Yes. In order for our peace to reign, we need a capitol where concerns could be taken and processed. If you recall, I restored Kaon as well."

"It seems convenient for you! You live in an upscale housing unit!"

"Would you stop accusing him?" Kup snarled. "Primus! Who gave the mech his housing unit?"

"Well, he funded-"

"No, _I_ funded it. I sent _my_ Wreckers over to that spot with supplies _my _Wreckers made so that _I_ could honor the mech that made this peace possible by building him a housing unit. Don't accuse until you know the whole story," Kup sneered. "Now, dismiss this meeting, Prime. I got other things to do than listen to these half-bit processing idiots."

"Of course, Kup. Meeting adjourned. Have a good joor, mechs," Prime said smoothly. Kup grinned when the Prime didn't contradict his insult. Irritated mechs rose and filed from the room as Kup moved forward to intercept the Prime and the City Commander.

"So what are you _really_ here for?" Magnus asked as Kup pulled him and Optimus into an empty conference room. Kup frowned as he perched on the conference table.

"Well, it's nothing good. A group of ex-Decepticons have been roaming lower Iacon, attacking anybot that is alone. The same has been happening in Praxus, Tarn, Vos, and it's been _really_ bad in Kaon, though I guess that's to be expected. I sent one of my Wreckers to walk through the streets and discover what they could, and the results are not good." Kup vented heavily as he looked Prime in the optics.

"They're planning on finding and offlining any mech or femme that changed sides during the war. Then, they're going to work at reviving Megatron. Apparently, some of the more well-known Decepticons have been popping up, even though they were once permanently offlined. Mechs like Bonecrusher, Chop Shop, Blackout, mechs that were loyal to a fault to Megatron." There was a moment of silence as Optimus and Magnus pondered Kup's words. It was getting out of hand. Optimus knew this. If these mechs were appearing from the dead, he didn't doubt that his brother would be the next to appear. And then, there would be Pit to pay.

**::Prime, I got some intel on that mech, Chemical.:: -Jazz**

Prime shuttered his optics for a klik, not liking the negative tone to Jazz's voice. He had dropped his accent. Something was terribly wrong.

**::Hurry to your housing unit, Prime. You're not gonna like this.:: -Jazz**

Optimus frowned. Just what he needed to finish off his _fantastic_ cycle: more bad news. And this was worse, because it involved the femme his spark was obsessing over. "I'm afraid I must go. I just received an urgent comm. Kup, come by my housing unit next lunar cycle. We need to discuss this in further detail."

"Yes, sir," Kup replied, and he watched as Optimus fled the room, wondering just how bad the comm. was.

* * *

><p>"Hmmm…. Hm…. Mm-hm… Hmm… Hmm… Ratchet will not like this result," Perceptor noted to himself, cutting off his own humming. The red mech was more than just a little excited to work on this new data string. Of course, he had worked on the new string first. What he found had both fascinated and horrified him. When combined with a vulnerable processor, which in this case, would any processor without a level five firewall meant for scouts and extremely experienced saboteurs like Jazz, the data string would completely integrate itself into the processor's every data stream. Perceptor further broke apart the data string and found even stranger results.<p>

The data stream, in most areas, enhanced the senses. It boosted a bot's balancing center, it boosted a bot's audio receptors, vocal processors, and olfactory sensors, and it enhanced a bot's reflexes. On that same note, though, it seemed to give the bot the ability to show their emotions on the outside, somehow. The data was written out the same way the data for a Praxian's doorwings or a Seeker's delta wings was written out. Perceptor, being the scientist he was, secretly made a copy of the data for further personal studies as he moved on to the next string of data.

He recognized Shockwave's work in the slavery data immediately. He could easily see that the slavery data was of an old design, and it appeared to have been dormant until a few cycles ago. Before its activation, Perceptor could tell that it had been there to simply influence the bot's thoughts. Make it want to be nice to certain bots, or make it want to tell the truth all the time. Perceptor scowled at the mere thought of a bot being so controlled. Ratchet was going to be angry about this, too.

**::Ratchet… I have results.:: -Perceptor**

**::I am on my way.:: -Ratchet**

Not a breem later, Ratchet was walking into the medbay door and heading back to where Perceptor was working. The red mech rose to his pedes as his long-time friend approached him.

"What have you found?" Ratchet inquired in a tired and gruff voice.

"You are not going to like it," Perceptor stated. Then he started explaining his findings to Ratchet. The mech appeared as fascinated as he had been while he told the medic about the first string of coding. However, that fascination turned to fury and disgust when the scientist started explaining the slave data. "That isn't the most disquieting element of the findings. No, because now we must investigate and discover _why_ and _when_ this femme was in the presence of a mech like Shockwave long enough for his to download and conceal the data string in such a fashion that we did not discover it until now."

"Yes. This is unsettling, indeed," Ratchet mumbled, already picturing the many ways Arcee was going to injure him when he told her.

"Who is this mystery femme? I would very much like to convene with her about my discoveries on her slavery data."

"Her designation is Moonstrike," Ratchet said absently as he tried to think of a way to break this news to Arcee. 'Hey, Arcee. You're femme creation met up with Shockwave during the war and has a souvenir.' Then he could run for the hills. The choked gasp that rose from his friend pulled him from his thoughts. Ratchet looked over at Perceptor to see that the mech had an expression of unconcealed terror on his faceplates.

"Moonstrike? You mean to inform me that the Wrecker's little femme is the one that you placed in a cybercat's body? That got captured and experimented on by Shockwave? That was _Moonstrike_?"

"…Yes…" Ratchet said slowly, as his spark dropped to his pedes. The 'Wrecker's little femme'? This wouldn't end well. Maybe he could get Sideswipe to tell the Wreckers… the red mech owed the medic, right? And plus, he was good friends with Hotrod. Perceptor studied the medic for a few kliks.

"I need to speak with Kup and Ultra Magnus on how to proceed. If Shockwave captured Moonstrike once, there is no guessing what things he can achieve if he's still online. The Wreckers never found his frame, and we know better than to pronounce him permanently offline. I will further study these data strings, and I will be in touch."

"Good cycle, my friend. 'Til all are one," Ratchet said in farewell.

"Until all are one."

* * *

><p>Jazz was pacing in his office, before his desk when he entered the housing unit. Immediately, he was put on edge. Jazz <em>didn't <em>pace. He normally lounged in a chair and tapped his pede to a beat that only he could hear. A pacing Jazz was an agitated Jazz, and an agitated Jazz usually meant very, _very_ bad news.

"Prime," Jazz greeted evenly when he noticed the majestic mech standing in the doorway. "Let's get this over with."

"Of course," Prime replied as he made his way to his desk chair. He couldn't deny the sense of déjà vu he felt when Jazz strode up to his desk as the Prime sat down. Jazz had a habit of standing before him, rather than taking the seat before the desk, whenever he had Intel that was negative for the Autobot cause. Whenever the Intel was positive, the saboteur would plop down in the seat, cross his pedes on Prime's desk, and proceed to brag about his skill. The fact that Jazz resumed pacing in front of the desk once Prime was seated caused Optimus to frown. This did not bode well.

"What did you discover?" Optimus asked, deep voice not betraying any of the inner turmoil the antsy solstice was causing.

"I had five different contacts do research on this mech, and none of them had good stories to tell." Jazz turned to face Prime. He moved forward, pulling a datapad from his subspace, and placed the datapad in front of Prime, who leaned forward to read it. Jazz placed his servos on the desk and leaned forward as he spoke what was written on the pad.

"Designation: Chemical. Faction: Decepticon. Function prior to war: scientist at Praxian Experimental Facilities. In case you don't remember, the Elite Guard shut that place down after they rescued a certain logic-centered doorwinger sparkling from there. They were experimenting on enhancing different processing centers in a mech's helm. They had been focusing on logic centers and battle computers when the Guard shut them down." Jazz scowled at the thought of his best friend having to go through that as a sparkling.

"Function during war: interrogator, torture specialist, experimentation scientist, and part-time medic. The mech apparently really looked up to Shockwave. Sadly, Shockwave wanted nothing to do with him. His function right now is, surprise surprise, an experimental scientist, only difference being that he works primarily with drones now. Your femme's involved with a slaggin crazy mech, Optimus."

"I see…" Prime mumbled, his processor working a mile a klik. Did Moonstrike not know about Chemical's past? She had stated that she thought he was a very nice mech. So did that mean Chemical was just using her? Primus, what if he was experimenting on her?

"Prime, I don' think Moonstrike is safe righ' now. Perhaps she'd be safer if ya 'ssigned her a bodyguard. Then she'd prob'ly be safer rechargin' 'ere, where ya c'n keep an optic on 'er withou' 'xplainin' tha' Chem migh' be exper'mentin' on 'er." Prime processor snapped back to the present when he heard Jazz's words.

"Primus, Jazz. Are you trying to get me to talk a femme into living with me?" Optimus asked. He didn't miss how his spark sang at the idea. He could have her close-by all the time. Yes, his spark definitely liked that idea.

"Chill, Prime. It was jus' a thought," Jazz chirped, unrepentant. Prime sighed.

"Her having a bodyguard would probably be beneficial," Prime agreed slowly.

"I'll ask 'round. See who'd wanna watch 'er," Jazz offered.

"No!" Optimus burst out, suddenly envisioning Blaster and Prowl hanging around his housing unit with Moonstrike and Jazz. "I will choose. Thank you for your information."

"No prob, Prime. It was nice, like slippin' on a ol' piece a' armuh. Jus' like ol' times."

Prime smiled. "Indeed. Exactly like old times."

"Now we jus' need Sideswipe to run in 'ere, seekin' refuge fr'm Hatchet or 'Hide, an' Prowl glitchin'. Then we'd 'ave the whole effect," Jazz replied with a grin. Prime couldn't hold back the laugh the rumbled through him.

"Indeed, Jazz. I can easily remember it. In fact, running my army was quite a bit like the sparkling-sitting job I received in my youngling years. The likeness is uncanny." Jazz grinned cheekily.

"I guess I was the goo' kid tha' kept ev'rybot else outta trouble?" Jazz questioned. Prime smiled playfully.

"Actually, I recall sparkling-sitting a little mech that enjoyed placing everything he could reach in his mouth and throwing his energon at everybot that walked past. You remind me a lot of him."

"Pickin' on yo'r teammates is bad, Prime," Jazz retorted with a smile.

"I know, but how else am I supposed to get my fun? Primus knows I'm not going to get it at work," Prime stated with a sigh.

"Well, ya know, there's this pretty li'l femme by tha name a' Moonstrike. I think you should give 'er a chance ta help ya through these hard times," Jazz said slyly.

"Jazz, if I needed a matchmaker, I would hire one," Prime replied evenly. Jazz's grin turned mischievous.

"Ya may not've hired meh, but'cha still gotta work wit' meh." Jazz checked his chronometer. "I gotta go. I got a meetin' wit' a ol' friend."

"Very well. Thank you for your time, and if you can, have as many of your old colleagues here in three lunar cycles (tomorrow night in earth terms). I have a problem that I need help fixing." Jazz nodded as he stepped back from Prime's desk.

"Very well. I'll see who's nearby and who can be nearby in a solar cycle." Jazz sauntered to the door and paused once he reached it.

"Moonstrike is a great femme, Optimus. If you don't claim her soon, somebot else will," Jazz said seriously. He looked over his shoulder at the noble leader as he added, "That includes me, too." He heard Optimus growl lightly as he left the housing unit. He grinned once he was outside. Hopefully, that ultimatum would spur the great Prime into action.

* * *

><p><strong>Vivian Hale:<strong> Yup XD Sideswipe is now involved in Prime's love life. XD and he has nowhere near the discretion Jazz has. And I kinda agree. Sam seems like he would want a girlfriend, but girls wouldn't want him because of how spazzy he is…

**Leonixon:** Indeed, Jazz unleashed a nightmare. (OoO)

**AlexisOptimus:** XD Yep. Sideswipe's first plan comes into action next chapter. I can't wait to write it. Optimus is going to be so pissed at Jazz for opening his mouth. XD

**Supergirlprime:** Yeah. I always viewed Jazz as being somewhere from 25-27, so yeah, about mid-twenties. Ya know, I don't even know why I came up with Love Guru Sideswipe. I was thinking, "Sideswipe, Master of Love," but when I thought of the Love Guru thing, I was like, "Oh, that is _so_ Sideswipe!" XD I 3 Sideswipe. X3

**Erin Primette:** This is 0.o

**Bee-roxs98:** Don't worry. Everything is about to come together. :D I'm having fun writing Soundwave. Now that the war is over, he doesn't _have_ to be creepy. Now, he just creeps on people for fun. (Because honestly, if I were Soundwave, I would have fun just creeping people out. I'm kinda like Blaster from my story "A Little Burst of Sunlight" when he pretends to be Soundwave and scares the slag outta a poor Decepticon recruit. XD That would be so much fun!)

**A Wiccan:** XD Yep. Love Guru Sideswipe is on the prowl. Primus help them all. -.-

**Iceshadow911247: **Some of the people in the theatre I was in walked out with Optimus died. I stayed because I knew they wouldn't leave Prime dead. Not after the big uproar in the 80's when they killed animated Optimus in the G1 movie. I've always wanted an orange cat to name Mufasa (because Mufasa is the bee's knees!) but alas, my brother is allergic. =.= … Jazz unleashed Sideswipe, but hey, Sunstreaker's gonna get dragged into it, so… yeah. Oh, animated Blurr? I love him! That episode was the best! XD

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Nope. Whenever Sideswipe says, "Leave this to me," something bad always happens. Prime is gonna be so pissed. =.=

**XLizardXQueenX:** Yep. It's growing complicated, and it's beginning to tie together. Don't worry, though. Another twist is coming up.

**Shinigami-Sama1:** XD Well, if he asked her out, I doubt Moonstrike would turn Jazz down. He's just such a smokin' hot mech. Prime's a bit worried, but he understands that she's a Wrecker. He knows she has a whole contingent of fellow Wreckers that will watch over her, plus as a Wrecker, she knows how to take care of herself. As for the war, he's having some of his old spy friends look into it. You'll see that next chapter.

**Jinxed-just-in-Time:** Oh. My. Gosh. I _HATE_ Bella! Her little eyebrow raising thing, and her terrible acting. Plus she's so fraggin' ugly! Then again, Edward (Rob Pattinson) is just as ugly, so they match. We'll be following Soundwave and them again next chapter. I plan for it to be a long one. Very long.

**Luna636:** Yup, yup, yup. Moon's gonna be brand-spankin'-new next chappie. It'll be pretty awesome. I figured it only made sense that she keep her cybercat comprehension skills. Part of the data string. Yes, Prime will be a bit miffed, and Sides is gonna make himself known next chapter.

**Autobot-Bre:** Yep. It _is_ all coming together.

**Rapidfeather:** O.o Your horse is a llama? Well llamas are pretty cool. *nod nod*

**Noella50881:** Soundwave is gonna be a great help. :)

**Hummergrey:** Aw thanks. ^-^ Ya know, I didn't know it seemed that way. I just write a story as I see it. Thanks, though. :)

I laughed at the thought of him being a Cybertronian parrot, and that's just because I know what he will eventually be. XD You will understand my humor in…three or four chapters. So maybe the week after next.

LOL. And Prime knows _a lot _of bots. XD

Jazz and Sideswipe XD My two favorite to write. And Ratchet. And Soundwave. And Chem. Chem is so much fun to write. Yeah, Sides was chasing her when she still thought Ratchet's medbay was an experimentation lab (She labeled it "The Horror House") So as you probably guessed, their upcoming encounter is going to be rather…interesting.

Hmmm. I like that idea. Maybe he could be this bodyguard Prime was thinking about. I'd say Ironhide could guard her, but there is no way that mech would give up guarding the Prime.

I agree. For the most part, I hate all the humans except for the people in NEST. Those guys have brains. Sam is annoying until he actually starts doing stuff (So he was irritating through 80% of the trilogy) I liked Mikeala because she was proactive in the plot, even if she wasn't believeable. But not Carly. Nope.

**WarriorKat21:** XD Yep, Sideswipe's wanting to open his own matchmaking business. *nod nod* Prime's just his first client. Prowl's his next one. (Sideswipe: Prowl fangirls, here's your big chance to cozy up and sparkbond with the copbot himself!)

**Random Reader: **Did you notice that _all_ the girls in the Transformers movies are beautiful, aside from Sam's mom, even the extras? Ridiculous. Chem's a puzzle. He has an interesting past. Soundwave is just… Soundwave *swoon*. Sides has a plan! Primus help anybot involved. I'm sure reading the review replies is pretty entertaining. ^^' I have trouble watching how I reply, so ya pro'bly read some pretty random stuff.

**TheHellIKnow:** XD Sideswipe _always_ spices up a story. I don't know how he does it. (Sunstreaker: It's because he has a brother like _me_.) Glad I could make you laugh. I'm really big on the ending line sounding…well, like an ending. I hate it when I read something and the end of the chapter sounds like it should've kept going. Just a thang. Glad I could make your day. :)

**Vivid:** Thank you for the compliment. :) And… you didn't read her review, did you? She asked if there were going to be any humans in this fic. I said it was Cybertron-centric, meaning the fic was just gonna be on Cybertron. :) Part of the war was still on Earth (if you notice, Ratchet comments a few times about Earth, and I believe Jazz does as well. Ironhide _might_ have commented on his past relationship with the Lennoxes, but I think I took that out. :\ Last chapter, I said that Jazz and Sides still had their Earthian alt. modes) So the story is Cybertron-based, but the past is not. Catch my drift? ;P

**Jaacs McHenry:** XD I never log in to review unless I actually want a reply. That's why I didn't deactivate the anonymous reviews.

**LadyGrimR:** XD Most of my cliffhangers are unintentional. Glad ya like it, though.

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Chem has a bit of a shady past… he's hiding quite a bit… And Jazz just released every mechs worst nightmare: Sideswipe, the Love Guru and Great Matchmaker! He needs a cape *nod nod* Yep. It's just working out every day until you get to the point where you actually like working out. Though, I think working out is easier when you're with someone else. Keeps you honest and makes you more competitive.

**Ninja Star Light:** Everything 0.o

**Diamond White:** Aw, shucks, thanks. *blush* Not really. More like Scorpinok and Blackout. Frenzy was actually Soundwave's symbiote, but he worked well with barricade. Bay slagged up how it actually worked (*eye roll* Typical Hollywood producer) Eh heh. Yeah, poor Optimus.

* * *

><p>A few after chapter things, so that y'all don't kill me.<p>

1) Yeah. Chem has a dirty past... and present... sorry, all y'all Chem fans. DX Don't kill me.

2) Yes, Optimus was implying he babysat Jazz. Jazz is (in humans years) maybe seven or eight years younger than Prime. Sentinel wanted Optimus to get a feel on the responsibility of caring for a whole planet, so he had him babysit. Doncha love how that works? ... Great. Now I'm gonna hafta write a one-shot on that. Joy.

3) Something for you to chew on: "Everything is never what it seems."


	20. Bodies, Families, and Obnoxious Twins

1) The battle was long and hard. She knew that, despite all her struggles, it might be in vain. Still, she pressed forward. She fought hand and foot, beating back her enemies, pressing toward her goal. Algebra 2 was the first to fall, anable to defeat her calculator's logical power. Government class was the next to collapse, unable to hold its ground against her advance. English class fought back valiently, intending to hold back the brave girl as she fought with every breath in her body. However, it was unable to stand up to her writing skills, which had been purposefully honed in Creative Writing class. Bible class, knowing of her struggle, traded sides, working with her in her plight as it repaid her for the many notes she had taken while it taught her. Speech class was enraged by the betrayal and rushed forward to destroy the innocent female enemy. Bible class followed her lead as she feinted to the left only to attack the right, which had been left open in an attempt to guard its left side. Speech class fell. Bible followed close behind her as she surged forward to face her final foe: physics.

Physics snarled angrily. How dare this little slip of a girl challenge it! It would teach her to fear the great Physics's awesome power! With an almighty roar, Physics sprang forward, armed with vectors and Newton's laws. The girl stepped back in fear. She couldn't do this. It would be too hard! She glanced down at the calculator in her hand, then over at Bible, who had armed itself with the Sword of the Spirit. She sent the approaching Physics a cocky smirk. "Prepare to meet your maker," she hissed, then she shot forward with her ally following her, prepared to defend. They met with an almighty crash, logarythms and magnitudes fighting against each other in a twist of logic and confusion.

Then she pulled out her ultimate weapon: her brand-new PI-94+ calculator. She accessed the graphing ability and felt triumph flood her as Physics feel to the ground defeated. She gave an excited cheer and she climbed to the top of the mountain. "I have conquered it!" she announced to the world. "I conquered the Mountain of the Students-That-Are-Exempt-From-Semester-Finals!" With that, she walked back down the mountain with Bible, hand-in-hand, and sat down at her computer to type chapter 20 of her story.

2) in case y'all didn't understand that ^, I'm exempt, and Bible was the only class that I got an A+ in. Yay me! XD

3) Sorry that this is a day late! Forgive me! One of my cheerleaders is leaving our school, so we gave her a goodbye party. :(

4) Guys! I'm finally at chapter 20! And with 400 reviews! *is excited*

5) I won't lie. i didn't proof this at all. So my mistakes are my own. Sorry, guys. ^^'

6) My little sister says "hi". Weird little child.

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><p>Chapter 20<p>

Bodies, families, and obnoxious twins (I got to use my favorite word!)

4,001 words

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><p>"Upgrade: complete," Soundwave announced into the silent darkness of the lab.<p>

"Very good. And all is well?" Chemical asked, a little worried for his friend on the lab berth.

"Affirmative," Soundwave replied as he closed up the femme's helm. "Onlining protocols: activated."

"Good. We will need her soon, especially now that Socius bonded with her," Chem stated as he examined his offline friend.

"Affirmative. Inquiry: has she been informed of the drone's future purpose?" Chemical gave the tape deck a withering glare.

"Do you really think I could tell her that her drone is going to turn into a youngling without her fritzing on me? Especially if I told her just what spark that youngling was going to hold?"

"Relationship with femme: friendship. Friends do not lie."

"I'm not lying. I'm withholding information."

"Exact words to Rumble: 'withholding information: lying'."

"I am hardly your little symbiote sparkling."

"Personality resemblance: uncanny." Chem huffed irritably.

"I am far smarter and easier to be around, thank you very much," he retorted. Soundwave chuckled a creepy monotone chuckle.

"Last visit: far too long ago, friend," Soundwave stated, having missed conversations like these with his long-time friend. Chemical had been stationed with Soundwave a long time back, when the war was just starting. The two had found common ground on (as morbid as it is) torture techniques. From there, they had discovered mutual enjoyment in the study of the Cybertronian body (not in a sexual sense, but in an A&P sense). Soundwave began teaching Chem as a medic, and Chem taught Soundwave random things that Soundwave never used but found interesting nonetheless. Chemical was the only bot that Soundwave had ever shown his sense of humor to, and vice versa. Both mechs had to keep up a sense of dark disinterest, and both had to make the rest of the army think that they liked nothing more than causing pain and killing every bot that crossed them. As such, they had become rather close while they were stationed together.

"Femme Moonstrike: coming online," Soundwave said suddenly.

* * *

><p>I groaned heavily as my systems started booting up. Primus, it felt like my processor was about to explode! Where was I? Why did my helm feel like it had been trampled on?<p>

"Moonstrike?" a familiar voice questioned. I groaned again.

"What did you do to my helm?" I moaned out loud. I heard Chemical chuckle.

"Check you frame updates, femme. Soundwave updated your frame and had to install quite a bit of coding to make your new appendages mobile. He also updated your alt mode."

"I don't _have_ an alt mode," I mumbled as I sent a system's check running through my processor. All systems appeared to be perfectly up to date. Wonderful. Now why did my audio receptors feel detached?

"Moonstrike, suggestion: online completely," a monotone voice ordered. I grunted in acknowledgement as I forced my optics online. The world lit up brightly, and I had to shutter my optics momentarily as my processor caught up with the new enhanced vision I had. I frowned in the extremely dim, almost dark, room. I could see everything perfectly, as if it were lit up.

"Moon, I need you to remain calm. Soundwave had to change quite a few of your systems, and we will need to explain the effects of these changes," Chemical said gently.

"Optics: strong in dark. Visor: installed and to be used when in bright light," Soundwave began. "Olfactory sensors: extra sensors added for new scents. Audio receptors: delta-shaped and mobile to allow access to more sound waves. Claws: installed on servo digits and pede digits. Tail: installed… to allow better balance."

"Here, sweetspark, try to stand. We need to get you accustomed to your new systems," Chem encouraged. I nodded once as I pushed myself into a sitting position. I slowly turned on my rear and slid off the table.

And fell over.

"What the slag did you do to my legs!" I screeched as I looked down at the limbs. My legs now had two joints instead of just one. I could see how powerful the new legs were by the thick movement wires that snaked through them under the strong armor, and I could see the deadly claws on my four pede digits. The leg makeup was completely different than what I had had: one knee joint and a digitless pede (like Bumblebee's pedes).

"New structure: enables the use of all four limbs to allow bursts of speed, agility, and balance. Four sets of claws give the ability to climb up any solid object. Tail: counterbalance for new leg structure." I glared at Soundwave, trying to convey _just_ _what _I thought of his matter-a-fact explanations. I suppose actually _asking_ for my permission _before_ he completely changed my structure was too much.

"Don't glare at him. Just get up and try again," Chem ordered softly as he pulled me up to my unsteady pedes. I leaned heavily on his as I attempted to work this new extra joint in tangent with the old joint that was now located higher on my leg. "'Atta girl," he praised when I started to understand how the joints worked. My tail flicked as I worked to use it for balance.

"We installed spikes in your tail to weaponize it, if you see the need," Chemical informed me. I glanced back at my new tail and almost did a double-take. It was made of many little plates, gears, joints, and wires, and had an appearance that was startlingly similar to the vertebrae of an organic. The tail moved fluidly, and I couldn't help but wonder how much time it had taken for Soundwave to put my new body together. The tail itself must have taken a joor due to its intricacy and length. I briefly let it go limp to test the length and found that it barely brushed the floor. I'd have to experiment to figure out how to activate the spikes later. After all, I really didn't want to accidentally impale my best friend.

"And you said you altered my alternate mode?" I questioned. Chemical nodded.

"Yes, you now transform into a dual-blade helicopter."

"I don't have 'copter kibble," I retorted, slightly irritated in him changing my alt. mode, even if it was into a flying mode.

"Blades: detachable. Design: unreleased to public," Soundwave stated blankly. I grimaced when I felt my new audio receptors swivel outward a little in order to pinpoint where his voice was coming from.

"Your tail will link together to for your rear rotor. Your two blades will attach to your back and point downward to protect Socius who will attach to your frame in between your shoulder blades, just below your new rotary engine," Chemical explained. I focused on that area of my back and found that I could feel Socius's weight as the new transformation cog that sat near him held him securely in the new hold. "Your back is just a bit more bulky because of the engine, but we were able to move your waste tank and your energon distributer a bit out of the way to make room for Socius without getting rid of any systems, like your sparkling chamber or sparkling hold, and without making your stomach look bulkier. Flyers have to be small, anyways, so we had to keep away any unnecessary bulk."

"I understand," I said dully. This was so much to take in. I was a flyer, but I knew not how to fly. I was a symbiote host, yet I didn't know the first thing about symbiotes. Only that they had a bond with their host and they lived in their frame. I had all these new joints, yet they seemed superfluous. "Chem, why did you give me all these new systems?"

"Moon, war is coming. There is no way around that. As your friend, I want to keep you protected."

"I don't understand. Shouldn't you be giving all of this to the Prime, then?"

"No. He has bodyguards and defenders. You will need these."

"But _why_?" I inquired. He was scaring me again.

"Moonstrike, when I was working in your processor, I found an interesting string of coding. It was a strand of slave coding, made to force a bot into obeying the commands of a specific bot, or a specific rank of bot. Your coding made you obedient to any of the three top ranking Decepticons and to any Decepticon scientist." I stared at him in mounting horror. Someone put slave data in me? But there were only two scientists I was ever around…

"Chemical," I ignored the way he flinched at my tone, "what did you do to me?"

"Chemical: innocent. Data signature: Shockwave." I stared over at Soundwave. "Data string: deleted by Chemical during frame upgrade."

"But… Shockwave never downloaded anything into my processor. He simply repaired the processor damage I received from an injury," I argued, sifting through my own memories.

"You were never shot in the processor. You would be dead if you had been. You were shot in the spinal strut, and you went into stasis lock due to the pain. Shockwave spent the next four vorns experimenting on you and leaving me to clean up the mess."

"I don't understand. Why haven't you mentioned this to me before? Primus, why did you _stop_ him?" I questioned, edging away from him as I momentarily fought for balance.

"I believe you know as well as I that no mech stands up to Shockwave and survives, and I couldn't chance dying and leaving you there without someone to repair you," Chem explained, his optics darkening in ire. "I was unaware of the slave coding, and I can't say what it was placed there for, but with all these dead Decepticons suddenly reappearing, I can't deny that it must be for some evil reason."

"But he was so nice to me…" I whispered, my spark sinking sadly.

"I understand that, but he cannot be trusted. I know you know that. You mentioned it not two-" Chemical suddenly broke off, his optics dimming slightly as he received a comm. My spark stuttered a bit as his optics narrowed in a dark glare for an unseen recipient. For a short klik, I could see the Chemical that was rumored to be one of the most ruthless Decepticons in the war. The look passed, and his optics lit up and looked directly into mine. "Now, I'm afraid I have to ask you for a favor. Socius may be a turning point in this upcoming war, and I now need you to come where we will be taking him so that he can remain supported by your systems."

"Chem…" I said in a warning voice, but he cut me off.

"If I can't take you, then Soundwave will, but you need to be here by the next rising of the second moon. For now, you need to go meet up with your creators and explain that you will be meeting with us at the lab for the next two solar cycles to work on a drone with me."

"Chem, I don't-"

"Moonstrike, I know you're scared and confused, but I have to go. I _will_ keep you safe. Be here in three cycles, Moonstrike." With that, Chemical fled the room. I felt my optic twitch a bit, and I turned to Soundwave, my optics expressing my many unspoken questions.

"Information: classified. Fact: War is brewing. Fact: Chemical cares about you," Soundwave said a conversationally monotone voice as he moved to a berth and lifted up two sharp rotor blades. "Fact: Chemical is Soundwave's best friend. Fact: Soundwave will protect Chemical's surrogate creation. Fact: femme Moonstrike will remain safe." He moved toward me and effortlessly spun me around so that my back was facing him. I grimaced when he all but shoved the blunted end of a rotor blade underneath the armor between my shoulder blades. "Access transformation cog," he ordered. I slowly obeyed, having to sort through all the new transformation cogs that I had.

Symbiotic transformation cog.

Tail to rear rotor blade transformation cog.

Alt mode transformation cog.

Ah! Rotor attachment transformation cog.

I hesitantly activated the cog and grimaced at the result. Pistons and gears wrapped around the blunted end of the blade and anchored it to my internal back structure. The process was repeated with the other rotor blade. Soundwave gently turned me around again when he finished.

"Suggestion: Relearn defense moves. Ravage will accompany you. Objective: protect, teach, and report back to Soundwave." The silver cat-like transformer slinked over to us and sat down beside my pedes as he nodded his acknowledgement to his master.

"Thank you, Soundwave," I said, knowing somehow that, though I didn't understand the full gravity of the situation, the two mechs were doing everything they could to prevent the inevitable war and protect those they could once it started.

"Gratitude: accepted, but unnecessary. Protection: Soundwave's duty," he stated bluntly.

"Well, thank you anyways."

"Acknowledged. Soundwave's presence: required at meeting. We will meet again in three cycles." I nodded in understanding.

'Yes, Soundwave. Good cycle,' I said in farewell. I turned and moved toward the staircase, Ravage padding silently by my side. I moved up the staircase, and a few kliks later, I was headed to my own home under the soft lights of the first Cybertronian moon.

* * *

><p>It was a well-known fact that no non-Wrecker ever entered the Wrecker's community housing system. The place was, without a doubt, the roughest, rowdiest, and likely the least dangerous place in the upper areas of the cities they were located in. The Wrecker community was much like a base. It had two main rooms: a communicationcommand center and a large rec room, which always held at least five Wreckers. Branching off the rec room was multiple hallways that branched off into eight other hallways filled with housing units. There were two separate wash racks for femmes and mechs for old-times' sake, despite the fact that every housing unit had a washing unit. Though it was filled with the most well-known mech-wreckers, it was easily the safest place of Cybertron _because_ it was filled with well-known mech-wreckers.

Perceptor wasn't intimidated in the least by the many large mechs that trotted after him as he moved toward Kup's office. Perceptor was known as an unofficial Wrecker, seeing as he had only worked with the Wreckers for a vorn. He was still welcome, but most times, he stayed at his own laboratory. His presence in the Wrecker's community housing system easily caused a stir because it meant that something had gone wrong, wrong enough for the Wreckers to be needed – and Wreckers were only needed when things got very, _very_ bad.

"Is Kup in attendance at the moment?" he called out to the two mechs that sped up to walk beside him. Twin Twist frowned.

"Yeah. He's with Ultra Magnus in his office," Twin Twist answered slowly.

"Good. I fear he will not appreciate the tidings I must present him with," Perceptor said darkly. Twin Twist glanced around the microscope to his brother.

"And what would ya be meanin' with these ba' tidings, Perc'?" Topspin asked in his Scottish accent.

"I anticipate you discovering these tidings before a long amount of time has passed, so I will not tell you yet," Perceptor stated. Topspin and Twin Twist stopped and gave each other one more glance before shrugging and walking down the hall toward the rec room. He didn't knock before walking into Kup's office, and he didn't hesitate in pressing the close button in the following mechs' faces and hitting the lock button.

"Perceptor?" Ultra Magnus called out in surprise. The red mech looked and frowned. Magnus was twisted around in the seat in front of Kup's desk, while Kup was lounged back in his own chair behind the desk. They looked like they had been reminiscing, and it pained Perceptor to be bringing such bad news.

"Kup. Ultra Magnus," he greeted, fixing his solemn gaze on the red and blue mech. "I have discovered some disturbing news about your grandcreation." Ultra Magnus sat up a little straighter in his seat.

"Continue," he ordered, sounding worried.

"It seems that Moonstrike's captivity at Tarn was not her only captivity," he said gravely. "Apparently, she was captured at the Battle of Alpha-10 on the unnamed organic planet in the Alpha-10 sector."

"But, all Autobots were accounted for, and Moonstrike was not on that mission because Shockwave was spotted in that region," Kup disagreed.

"Yes, but that was the only instance that Moonstrike came in contact with Shockwave, and if she was not allowed on the mission, she would not have been counted amongst the warriors on the way to the battle," Perceptor replied.

"Wait, wait. Why does Shockwave matter in Moonstrike's battles?" Magnus asked, getting a sinking feeling.

"It appears that Moonstrike spent enough time in Shockwave's presence for him to install a string of slave coding into her processor," Perceptor said with a voice dripping with venom. The sound of Magnus's furious engine filled the office, followed swiftly by the sound of Kup's. A second later, the sounds of furious engines filled the hall just outside the office door, meaning that somebot was pressing his audio to the door and passing on every piece of conversation.

"Who told you this?" Magnus demanded as he surged to his feet in anger.

"I discovered it myself while investigating a string of slave data for Ratchet. He didn't inform me of the data's holder until I had unlocked the past behind the data string," Perceptor stated. Magnus snarled, his optics bleeding red.

"I'll teach that half-bit fraggin' pit-spawn of a computer what happens when you mess with _my_ grandcreation!" he roared. There was a distinct cheer from behind the door a klik later.

"Magnus, we do not even know where he is!" Perceptor exclaimed as the mech moved past him toward the door.

"We'll find him!" Another cheer. "Meanwhile, we'll find Moonstrike and bring her here where she'll be safe!" He opened the door and watched as the crowd of eavesdropping Wreckers parted almost evenly down the middle.

"You know Arcee will get irritated if you capture her daughter and hold her here! Slag, _Moonstrike_ will get irritated!" Perceptor argued as he followed the city commander out the door..

"Magnus, the mech has a point. You can't j'st order her around. She's not a youngling anymore," Kup interjected wisely when he appeared a klik later in the doorway. He didn't want to deal with an irate Arcee _or_ an irate Moonstrike. Magnus's adopted creation was a force to be reckoned with, but his grandcreation had the capability of being ten times worse.

"I see," Magnus muttered. "Then I will assign a bodyguard to her."

"Rip Rage and Streamshot already spend half of their time with her," Kup disagreed.

"Then one more Wrecker will not be a problem. Arcee and Springer have spare rooms, and you know as well as I that Wreckers always enjoy being around other Wreckers. We're the only ones that can stand one another." Kup groaned.

"You're so dense," he muttered. "But go ahead. I always did enjoy watching your slaggin moronic plans explode in your faceplates." Magnus huffed irritably at the elder mech.

"Very well. Which mech would make a good guard for her…" he thought out loud.

"I think I would be the bot for that task," a deep voice rose from the crowd. Magnus looked to his left, and the crowd of Wreckers parted again to show the white mech with red accents leaning up again the hallway wall. The bot had two sheathed swords on each hip, and one powerful sword was attached to his back, the hilt showing over his helm. His blue optics were hardened by past battles, and his mouth was curved up in a cocky smirk.

"Drift. I wasn't informed that you would be here the cycle," Ultra Magnus said in surprise. Wreckers always came to greet the city commander when he was on-base – no, in the housing unit – so it was a shock for one to slip his notice.

"I only came by to visit, but if it's protecting a femme like Moonstrike against Shockwave, I think I'd be your best bet. Especially if it gives me a chance to disconnect that fragger's helm from his chassis," Drift added as an afterthought. Magnus nodded in understanding. Drift was good at bodyguarding, he was able to blend in, and he could defend Moonstrike from Shockwave.

"Good. Go find her and don't leave her side until the threat is eliminated," Ultra Magnus ordered. Drift's grin held dark promise.

"Yes, sir," he said, giving the mech a lazy salute. The white Wrecker spun on his heel and left toward the community entrance. Looks like it was time to use those old tracking skills from his bounty-hunting cycles.

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><p>"No."<p>

"But-but… _why not?_"

"Because it's a stupid idea, you're going to get us caught, and I'm not taking the fall for you. _Again_."

"But you're my _brother_! My twin! My _partner in_ _crime_!"

"And yet I am not inclined to change my answer. _No_. Now move it."

Sideswipe was extremely frustrated. He showed his frustration mentally through his twin bond with his brother and physically by huffing irritably as he took a deliberate step away from Sunstreaker's easel. The red mech had presented his flawless and completely foolproof plan to his twin in hopes of receiving his help. Sadly, though, Sunstreaker had shot down the idea before Sideswipe had even gotten to the point of begging.

"But Sunstreaker, this is our Prime we're talking about! Our past commander! He was the one that kept Prowl from welding us together!" Sideswipe cried dramatically. Sunstreaker scoffed.

"He sure didn't keep Hatchet from welding us together," the sociopathic mech muttered irritably.

"Yeah, but that was because it was _Ratchet_," Sideswipe reasoned, as if that reason alone excused Prime's actions.

"And whose fault was it that we ended up welded together?" Sunstreaker questioned, sending his twin a scathing glare.

"Uhhh… Prowl?" Sideswipe replied was a sheepish grin.

"Wrong," Sunstreaker snapped. "It was a stupid red mech. Now get lost!"

"_Suuuuuuuunny!"_ Sideswipe whined as he dropped to his knees beside his brother. "Don't make me do this alone! We _have_ to help Prime! Jazz specifically said he needed my love planning skills!"

"Jazz? _Jazz_ asked for _your _help?" Sunstreaker asked, momentarily setting down the stylus he was using to draw with. Sideswipe resisted the urge to grin. It was stretching the truth a little bit, but then again, what bot _didn't_ stretch the truth a little?

"Yeah. Jazz asked for my help. He's been so busy that he can't hook Prime up with the femme all by himself, and this femme's just resisting his every advance," Sideswipe said in a mournful voice. Sunstreaker frowned.

"Has Prime admitted his feelings?" Sunstreaker asked, curious. Optimus hadn't taken another femme since Elita's offlining. The sheer fact that he was interested in another femme definitely grabbed his attention.

"Of course not," Sideswipe said in an irritated voice. "That's why he needs us!"

"If Prime hasn't admitted his feelings, then how can you be sure that he even _likes_ this femme?"

"Because Jazz told me. Just follow my plan! It'll work!" Sunstreaker sighed heavily. He gave his stylus and the large datapad a longing glance before looking over at his brother.

"If I get brigged, I will slag you."

"_YES!"_ Sideswipe cheered. Worked _every_ time! "Let's go set up before Prime gets to his housing unit. My sources told me the femme goes there every solar cycle!"

"Right," Sunstreaker mumbled. He had learned long ago not to question Sideswipe's sources. Most of the time, they were completely correct, despite their shady backgrounds. He sent one more longing glance to his datapad before following his red brother as he all but pranced out of the housing unit.

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><p><strong>Diamond White:<strong> Jazz has that smooth-mech thing always going on, so I figured that seemed like something he'd say. XD

**AlexisOptimus:** Ironhide is still Prime's bodyguard, however, he works with security at the Meeting Hall. Once the war starts up, 'Hide'll appear more and more. Hatchet and Hide were close to Prime, but ya gotta remember that Prime has to rule a whole planet now. He has meetings every solar cycle, and he doesn't live anywhere near Ratchet's clinic. :(

**Littledhampir13:** I am in the process of writing it, actually. That's what I'll be doing all week. :) Along with the updating of a few other stories, hopefully. I love all movie-Autobots, too (and quite a few of the G1 bots)

**Rapidfeather:** Why did you have a plastic horse near your face anyway? O.o

**Iceshadow911247: **Your cat is adorable. X3 It was you who sent me that link picture thingy, right? I love animals. Except for alligators. Alligators are scary. I agree. G1 Jazz was as tall as Prowl and taller than almost all the other bots. Short Jazz is a classy Jazz. He just pulls it off so well. (Your Jazz sounds like Skidz and Mudflap, BTW ;P)

**Erin Primette:** Yep. Opty will have an interesting time next chapter making one of the many big decisions he will have to make.

**XLizardXQueenX: **Yeah. Last chapter was rather info-heavy. I hate having to write chapters like that. Makes them boring. -.- Next chapter should really get the story going again, Lord-willing.

**Demonatron: **You haven't reviewed, have you? Dun worry. I rarely review on anyone's work anymore. -.- It depends on where I am and how awake I am. I'm glad you like my fics, though. I really, really need to update Sunburst's, but I am _so_ stuck in a rut on that one. I wanna end it with this chapter, but Blaster, Jazz, and Dreadwing refuse to stop fighting! Primus! You just can't leave those three alone anymore without them trying to offline one another! *aggravated sigh*

**LadyGrimR: **XD :) right back at'cha. ;D

**Autobot-Bre:** Just you wait! It gets better!

**Noella50881:** I hate writing long essays! One or two pages isn't that bad (I'm an extensive researcher, so I always have more than enough info), but a five page research paper isn't that long to me. Only 2k words due to double-spacing. Long essays suck, though. I dread having to write a thesis in college.

**Supergirlprime:** Ewwww. I must admit that I have debated having Shockwave crush on her. It's a distinct possibility (seeing as she's the only femme that's not completely creeped out by him) but still. The thought of my poor, poor OC having to… sparkmate with that creeper…I think I would kill her just to show her a shred of pity. *nod nod* Still, it is a possiblility. I won't give anything away. ;)

I believe your question about the slave data was sufficiently answered in this chapter. :) (I felt like Prowl writing that)

And yes, the logic sparkling was Prowl. :(

**Bee-roxs98:** I'm working on that one-shot this week. I hope to have it up about mid-week, cuz I have another one-shot I'm working on as well. Sad day about Chem. Don't give up on him just yet, though. Barricade and Soundwave were torture specialists, too. :\ Worried/jealous Optimus is _very_ cute. I dunno why it always works that way. A jealous guy is cute. A jealous girl is the beginning of World War 3. Teehee, yep. De-Nile isn't just a river in Egypt, Prime!

**Vivian Hale:** LOL. Sideswipe, Jazz, _and_ Sunstreaker. We can't forget the vain sociopath. No, ya don't really write like a Texan. Huh. Maybe it's just how some people read it.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Lol. You should find out pretty soon. Enemy meeting next chapter.

**Jinxed just in Time:** Teeheehee. Yeah. It's like they were giving him weird directions.

Director: Okay, Rob! Stare her down! No, scowl a little bit. Now make your eyes look hungry! And narrow them a bit. No, not that much! No, a little more. Perfect! Now scowl a bit! Yeah, like that! And action!

**WarriorKat21:** I can't blame Jazz, I'd be messing with Prime's head, too. He just makes it so easy. Plus, Jazz kinda has a point. Opty needs to make a move before another bot does.

**3xX-BOTDF-Xx3: **Oh, hey! New reviewer! Thanks for taking the time ta give meh some feedback. :D I must ask (because I'm annoyingly curious. Ask anyone) what does your username stand for, or is it just random letters?

**DragonCrazed:** I had seven points for this chapter and only got to three of them, if that gives you an idea on how long I had planned for this chapter to be…

I agree on that. I love trying to decide which writer is what gender (though I never outwardly ask. That would be so awkward XD) So you're from Florida? I haven't been there in forever! My dad was stationed in Pensacola many, many years ago when he was still in the Navy. Many memories (like my younger sister getting attacked by a friendly squirrel that wanted the popcorn in her lap.) I was born in Texas, though. Only Texan in my family, actually. I'm glad to be back in the Lone Star State. =D

Hmmmmm… Should I tell her of my plans for Chem and his diabolical… naw! Let's let all y'all suffer!

**Leonixon:** Not necessarily a teaser for the next chapter as much as for coming chapters. The Cybertronian world is about to get turned upside-down. Kup is the best. I modeled his words off a conversation between my grandma and my older brother. XD

**Hummergrey:** You can hear my accent even amongst other Texans. I have a very deep Southern drawl, which, apparently, northern guys like…? I can't fathom it. It's rather irritating for random people to say, "Wait, wait, wait! Say 'five" again." Counting out in cheerleading SUCKS, cuz this is what I sound like:

"Fiiive, six, sehven, eight. Wun, two, three, fo', fiiive, six, sehven, eight."

The girl's around me always start giggling. -.- And I have a class trip to New York this year. This hick is gonna stand out like a black sheep in a herd of camels. =.=

Yes, Moonstrike was the last Wrecker sparkling born during the war, so it was kinda like Bumblebee's relationship with the bots in Prime's battalion.

XD Yeah, I could so see Ratchet doing that! LOL. Moonstrike would be _pissed_!

True, true. Chem definitely has a dirty past, and he's been pretty careful to keep it a secret from Moonstrike. After all, she thinks he's completely innocent… true, he admitted cleaning up after Shocky's experiments, but he didn't mention whether or not he had a part in those experiments… O.o

Teehee. I'd love to see Jazz explain to them about his plans to sparkmate her (that is, if Optimus doesn't make his move)

**Ninja Star Light:** XD Thanks for the review. :D

**Siri Avaruus:** Oh hey! Another Texan. *The stars and stripes so big and bright!*

Ya know, I don't even mean to write "y'all" all the time? "You all" is just such a mouth-full! I twitch when I have to.

Lol. I'm glad you like the story. And the metal kitties. ;P I giggled at your comment on not hearing Prime's speech. I don't think there is a single bot that has missed Prime's "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings' speech. It's his call-line! His motto! Well, other than "Autobot, roll out!" but that wasn't noble enough, so they had to add on the sentient freedom ditty. *nod nod*

**A Wiccan:** Yes, Chem actually cares for her. And yes, worry about Sideswipe, especially now that he got the sunflower in on it.

**Amai Seishin-Hime: **Yes! I have officially memorized the spelling of your username! It only took –what?- nineteen chapters? Success. Anywho.

Comgrats! I'm off school this week, so I have to work-out in my house (because it's below eighty outside and I don't _do_ cold. I just don't. I'm a cat, not a polar bear.)

XD I hate using "you all", so "y'all" isn't completely intentional. You should hear Dylan speak! XD G1 Ironhide's accent + my Jazz accent = Dylan's accent. Somehow he makes it work, though.

Optimus is getting pretty possessive, isn't he? Just wait until he sees Moonstrike. That possessiveness and protectiveness is about to go through the roof!

"Like Optimus! He's such a sweetie and whenever he dies, he comes back!" I laughed so hard at that. Whenever I read you calling Optimus a sweetie, I got a picture of movie-verse Optimus facepalming with an anime sweatdrop and movie-verse Jazz poking and laughing at him. XD

And yes… There's no way to agree to jazz being naughty without it seeming wrong in many ways. XD

**UnForGettable323:** Oh, hello! I don't think you've reviewed before! Thanks for reviewing! I'm sorry that my suspense if killing you! I hope this chapter returned a little bit of your life-force!

**Luna636:** Yep. Primey's got it bad! He better move it before Rip Rage, Jazz, or some other mech makes a move on her. And Sideswipe now has his brother to help him. Maybe this is good news… maybe it's bad…

**MadTeaLady:** Hello! Thanks for taking time to review and give me all those compliments. :D I do, in fact, perform extensive research before writing anything mainly because I am, by nature, an extremely curious person, so the research is easy for me. When my OC is a chef, I learn how a chef's life works. I began writing a fic where my OC was an acrobat, so I learned an acrobat's insider language and the basics of the trapeze online. My story "_A Rough Road to Recovery,"_ which is a Ratchet/oc story, had to have a detailed understanding of how a chef worked in the kitchen, so I had to find all that stuff. Some of the stuff I find in research is actually fascinating, though. *shrug* it's fun for me. TF Wiki is the best, BTW.

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><p>There ya go, fans. Now y'all have a bit more intrigue to fuel your thoughts. :) I just notice that my review replies officially take up almost a fourth of the chapter.=.= Dunno if this is bad or not...<p> 


	21. Cat Fights and War Talks

1) Okay, so there were about five people who were confused on Moonstrike's new appearance. I'm sorry, folks, but I am not gifted in drawing anything that is not human-shaped with detailed fairy wings, so if I tried to draw Moonstrike, she'd come out with a weird circular head, a squarish torso with curves and normal legs. Given, it might resemble her, but it would not be her true look. besides, I don't have a DA account or anything. Once again, ladies and gents, I'm a writer not an artist. Sorry. I can, however, explain her appearance better.

Moonstrike is approximately 23 feet tall, one foot shorter than ratchet, three feet shorter than Prime and three feet shorter than Prowl. Her armor is still sky blue. She still has a regular-shaped helm, the only difference being that she has two cat ear-shaped audio amplifiers over her audio receptors. I wasn't quite clear enough on this when i mentioned it, and even in this chapter, Moonstrike refers to her audio amplifiers as audio receptors. Here's the deal: her audio receptor is a hole in her ear and the audio processing unit that is closer to her main processing unit. The cat ear only makes it easier to pick up sound because it gives her the ability to block out unnecessary sound. If someone ripped off her cat ear, she would still be able to hear, it just wouldn't be as strong as it was with the cat ear. Catch my drift? In addition to that, though, a bot has to have a specific program to use audio amplifiers like hers without overloading their audio processing unit. That's why everybot was shocked when her processor told her she needed it.

Her torso is the same in the front. Sky blue armor that parts down the middle to reveal her insides. The difference is her back. Soundwave and Chemical had to find a place to put Socius without making her bulkier, because they don't want any other bots to knows that Socius is linked to her. You will find out why in other chapters, but for now, just hit the "I believe" button. ;) So, in order to hide Socius, they moved her waste tank and her energon distributer to give Socius somewhere to connect to her main frame (her protoform) because a symbiote has to refuel and recharge off their symbiotic host's reserves. If I get enough questions about it, then I'll explain the symbiotic relationship in next chapter's AN. For now, let's move on. Chemical knows what happened to Moonstrike (her attack in the first chapter) and knows of the coming battle. He gave her the helicopter alt mode for two reasons: 1) the blades would further hide Socius from prying optics. 2) It would give her a means of escape and an extra set of weapons if necessary.

Let me say this now: **Moonstrike is definitely a bi-pedal transformer**. however, she has the ability to move on all four limbs like a cats would. Her legs are like those of a Seeker: they have two joints. Look up a picture of Starscream and look at his legs. then look at ravage's legs. Catch my dirft? When she is on all four limbs, she can use the power of all four limbs to speed herself up and climb walls, just like a real cat does. A cat wouldn't be able to do that on just two legs ;) The tail balances her when she is on all four limbs and can act as a weapon. her claws are retractable and stay in a weapons subspace until her needs them. On top of that, her programming now contains the baser cybercat instincts, meaning using her claws is easier and her fight or flight is a bit stronger.

Now the last thing about moonstrike. Her alt mode is a helicopter. A rescue copter, if you wanna get down to specifics. Soundwave used an Earth-based format, but added a Cybertronian spin to it, so mix in a rescue copter with Megatron's alt mode first movie, and ya got her alt mode. No, she doesn't transform into a flying cat. I despise beast alt modes, and i refuse to make my OC a Maximal. Sorry, Beast War lovers, but I just can't do it... Personal opinion, though I did like the Beast Wars plot and the creepy T-rex Megatron who always said, "Yes." So that's all for that. Sorry, once again, for not being able to supply all y'all with a visual aid.

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><p>Chapter 21<p>

Cat Fights and war talk

5,242 words

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><p>Many say that bravery is having the strength to do something that you greatly fear. Going to battle, defending a friend against muggers, telling the mech or femme of your dreams that you love them. For me, bravery was actually walking through my own front door. I felt a distinct sense of déjà vu as I stood, my hand poised to open the hissing door and my companion standing next to me, telling me of my cowardice. The difference was that the companion was a Decepticon cybercat instead of a smart-mouth drone.<p>

"_Freedom, your hesitance is illogical. They are your creators, and your new appearance will not change their feelings for you,"_ Ravage informed me.

"Yeah, but the knowledge that Soundwave and Chemical did this might, especially since I'm bringing a Decepticon into my housing unit."

"_Touché,"_ Ravage replied, his helm hanging a little. He had battled Wreckers before, and he was _not_ looking forward to dealing with them again. At least Freedom had an open processor and accepted that not all ex-Decepticons were bad.

"Don't worry. I'll keep you safe," I assured the large cybercat.

"_I hope so. Master will be rather irate if I get killed protecting you from your own creators."_

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"_I was raised to be honest. Decepticons don't energon-coat bad news."_

"Right. Well… let's get this over with," I replied with a heavy vent. I was a little hesitant as I opened the door. "Danni? Opi? I'm home!" I announced as I stepped into the house. Ravage stepped in after me, growling lowly in his throat.

"_Your creators are not in the housing unit,"_ Ravage stated as he moved in front of me. _"However, somebot else _is_."_

_That_ was unexpected. I glanced around, my optics seeing easily in the non-existent lighting. My olfactory sensors were picking up the scent of lubricant and energon. Whoever was in the house had killed recently.

"_Ravage, we need to leave. Now,"_ I whispered in cybercat language.

"_I concur,"_ Ravage replied. I started walking backward toward the door only to have the door hiss shut and lock before I had a chance to get to it. I yelped, surprised, and Ravage let out a warning growl. My optics dimmed on deeply ingrained instinct as my battle computer whirred to life. My audio receptors perked at the sound of nearly silent footsteps. My optics locked on the black mech that would have been otherwise invisible if not for my heightened senses.

"State your purpose and intents," I snapped. The intruder paused for only a second, dimmed optics widening only a fraction before narrowing.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? A Decepticon saboteur and an Autobot Wrecker reject," the mech said in an amused tone. "Quite the duo."

"I am just as strong as my Wrecker brothers and sisters. Do not mistake my power," I snarled. The mech chuckled.

"That strength didn't help you very much the last time I saw you, did it?" the mech questioned. I frowned, not knowing where he was going with this. "In fact, you wouldn't be here if it weren't for that slaggin' Autobot Enforcer." Then it clicked.

"You were the one that attacked me in the alley. You broke into the Prime's housing unit!" I exclaimed. He was the one that led the attack on her, and he was the skinny black one that broke into Prime's housing unit. What was his designation? "Blackshadow."

"How the slag do you know my designation?" he demanded, taking a threatening step forward.

"How the slag did you get out of the containing unit?" I shot back. To my surprise, he smirked.

"We have bots working on the inside. We _always_ have bots working on the inside. However, my master has… requested your presence, so you can come quietly, or we can do this the fun way."

"_He will not touch you!"_ Ravage roared, his claws unsheathing and digging into the ground. I felt my own claws draw from my weapons subspace, and my tail bristled lightly as the many vertebrate-like sections became pointed and sharp.

"Femmes love having fun, so Imma go with the latter," I replied, and without hesitation, I shot forward with a grace and speed I didn't know I had.

"What the –" Blackshadow exclaimed as I swung my claws at his optics. He used his right arm to block as he pulled wrist daggers from his subspace. His left arm retaliated, and I dodged nimbly by spinning to the right. As I spun, I brought my tail around with as much force as I could muster. Blackshadow yelped in pain when the sharp edges embedded themselves into his side. I dashed away from him, effectively ripping my tail away from him, along with a piece of his armor and the bit of protoform that piece of armor was attached to. I turned at the sound of his roar of pain and found that Ravage had picked up where I left off, ripping into the exposed side with rear-mounted acid pellet rounds. Blackshadow lost his footing and collapsed to the ground with a groan of pain.

"Ravage, enough," I ordered in a commanding voice. The cybercat obediently ceased the gunfire and retreated to my side as I stepped forward. I knelt down to the intruder's side. "Who is your master?"

"Like I'd tell you," the mech snapped, spitting out a bit of energon. "I happily await the day that my master finds you and uses you for his plans. Optimus Prime is a sentimental old fool that doesn't even recognize the greatest of all weapons, and even if he did, he wouldn't use something he's become so attached to. Once my master brings back our leader, though, there will be nothing to protect you."

I watched in stunned silence as the mech spat up a bit more energon before his systems whirred to silence and his spark signal faded from existence. It was the first time I had ever killed a bot up close before. I had always been terrible at servo-to-servo combat and spent my whole battle career either behind a scope or sneaking behind enemy lines. Even at that, I had only just become a saboteur, and I had only went on two or three missions before we received word of Megatron's death. Killing a bot up close seemed… wrong somehow.

"_Freedom, we must depart. More may be coming. Retrieve what you must," _Ravage ordered. _"We must return to my master. This changes everything."_

"Okay," I mumbled as I rose to my feet. I sent one last look to the mech I had just killed in cold energon, and for once I wasn't thinking about what my creators were going to think when they found a dead mech in their entry hall and my energy signal all over the battle zone. No, all I could think was, '_Optimus is going to be so disappointed in me.'_

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><p>Chemical was frazzled. Perhaps frazzled is a bit of an understatement, but at the moment, it was the best he could come up with. His emotions were just too many to decide which one was predominant. He was nervous, confused, afraid, angry, tired, and worried. There were a few other emotions swirling in there, but they mixed in with the others so well that he couldn't put names to them. The many red-opticed mechs that were staring up at him from his place beside Shockwave on the elevated stage really didn't help.<p>

When Shockwave had commed him while he was speaking to Moonstrike, the only thing that went through his processor was, '_Slagslagslagslagslagslag_,' so on, so forth. The single-opticed mech was planning a meeting with the bots willing to cooperate and needed another science bot to help him with any questions. Chem, being the only bot that knew what he was planning, was the mech that Shockwave needed. Chemical was expecting one or two bots to be at the meeting held in Uraya, not one or two hundred. Still, the normally optimistic bot kept his cool and pulled up his old persona. The bots in the crowd would only see the scientist they once knew: the one that took joy in little things like tearing a bot's optics out or stabbing a particularly irritating comrade in the spark.

"My comrades," Shockwave called out, gathering all attention from the frightening orange and red bot beside him. "I know of your suffering at the so called 'ex-Autobots'! I know of the energon crisis Optimus Prime placed us Decepticons in! The same Optimus Prime that claimed to fight for our own freedom! The same Optimus Prime that turned around and murdered his brother while the mech asked for a peace treaty! The same Optimus Prime that ignores our requests for supplies every cycle!" An angry roar rose from the crowd. "Brother! Sisters! We can fight back! Prime recharges in a false sense of security! What will he say when we bring our ire to his front step?"

"Kill the Prime!" an angry mech cried from the middle of the crowd.

"No! Make him suffer first!" another mech yelled.

"Yeah!" more mechs agreed.

"My brethren! I have a plan! I have found a suitable protoform strong enough to support a strong spark, and I have found the Well of All Sparks! My comrades, I now have the ability to bring back our leader! We can continue our fight for equality!" Shockwave announced. There was a few kliks of stunned silence, then a single cry rose from the crowd.

"All hail Megatron!" It was no surprise that this cry came from a recently revived Blackout. Not a klik later, identical calls rose above the cheers of the potential mob.

"Then we march to Protihex, then," Shockwave announced with an invisible smirk, "to Iacon!" Another cheer rose as mechs clapped and praised Shockwave's genius. Shockwave grinned at his success as he turned to leave the stage. Chemical followed him without having to be asked.

"Congratulations on your success, Lord Shockwave," Chemical commended, feeling much like Starscream at the moment. "If these plans continue as you expect, there is no openings for failure."

"Indeed. I just need the main components now. I have sent Blackshadow to retrieve Moonstrike. Once she is back, I will unleash my power on her kin. Without those blasted Wreckers, Prime will lose his chances of success. He requires their raw strength to win against our numbers."

"Yes, sir. I will check up on the arrangements, then," Chemical stated with a short bow.

"Yes. You do that. I will check up on the protoform. I need to ensure the slave data. Once Moonstrike is in my lab again, I can be sure the slave data is the exact same. I don't need our glorious leader suddenly surrendering again," Shockwave replied with no small amount of irritation.

"Of course, sir. I will see you in a cycle then. Alert me when Moonstrike is brought in. I can keep her calm," Chemical claimed. Shockwave nodded.

"Acknowledged. Your assistance is appreciated. Do not believe it will go by unnoticed," Shockwave said in what Chemical supposed was supposed to be a gracious tone of voice.

"Thank you, sir. Hail Megatron," Chemical replied. He bowed once more before walking off. He wasn't sure who Blackshadow was, but if he was after Moonstrike then it meant that she was in danger. He had to get out before he could send any comms. The large crowd of mechs suddenly seemed stifling around him, a room filled with enemies, though none of them knew of his changed priorities. He stepped outside and immediately transformed. He took off with a burst of speed. He didn't notice the bot following him until it was too late. He only had a klik to cry out in surprise before the bot rammed him into the building.

"Slaggit, mech!" Chemical roared, transforming without hesitation. Before he could attack, though, the mech was on him. The mech's hands moved in a flurry, landing punches anywhere he could. "Fraggin pitspawn!" Chemical threw his fist at the mech's faceplates. The hit landed, and it was the only hit Chemical landed, but it was enough. The smaller mech sailed backward and slammed into another building. There was a grunt of pain, followed by an irate string of curses.

"Fraggit! Ya broke mah friggin visor! Slag slag _SLAG!_" the mech snarled. Chemical shakily rose to his pedes and looked over at the silver mech who was glaring at him with blue optics that had been once hidden by a red visor.

"You're Second Lieutenant Jazz!" Chemical exclaimed. Jazz sent him a withering glare.

"I _was_ Sec'nd Lieuten'nt Jazz. _Now_ I'm jus' a mech wi' a brok'n visor. Slag!"

"What the slag are you doing _here_? This is a 'Con rally! You could get yourself killed!" Chem exclaimed.

"_Really,_" Jazz said flatly. "I hadn't noticed." Chem scowled.

"You should learn to keep your nose plates where they belong."

"Then I wouldn' b' doin' mah job, would I?" Jazz asked with a grin. Chem shrugged.

"I suppose not. Now hand that over and let me repair it before the rally starts letting out," Chemical ordered, holding out a servo. Jazz frowned as he handed over the visor.

"Why you helpin' meh?" he inquired. Chemical glanced up at him before turning his pointer digit into a device that Jazz was pretty sure he wouldn't even be able to pronounce the name to. He found that most medical devices lacked easily-pronounceable names. Whatever it was, it connected the broken seams of his visor without leaving a single mark.

"Is it so hard to believe I would help another?" Chemical asked with a frown.

"It's hard ta buhlieve _any_ 'con would wanna help a bot like meh." Chemical scowled.

"You Autobots always thought you were so noble. You thought you were causing nothing but good. You preached about freedom and equality, yet you never show any."

"Tha's rathuh cynical," Jazz said with a frown.

"Mech, do you know who I am?" Chemical asked. Jazz nodded.

"Yeah. You're a 'con to'ture specialist," Jazz replied. Chemical's scowl deepened as he shoved the repaired visor into the saboteur's digits.

"And that's why this war will never end. I am _not_ a torture specialist. I'm a mech that made a wrong choice and had to live with it because he knew the other side wouldn't accept him after his crimes." Chemical took a sense of dark pride in Jazz's shocked and shamed expression. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to save an innocent femme's life and keep this planet from dropping into violence again. If you really want answers, tell your Prime to comm. Soundwave. I must send a warning to the Wreckers."

"Already done. Maybe I should come with you," Jazz offered, the gravity of the situation finally hitting him.

"No. An Autobot will just get in the way," Chemical said angrily.

"Or an Autobot may be the extra firepower you will need when Shockwave finds out you've turned sides." As much as Chemical hated it, he couldn't deny it. An Autobot would make getting into the Well of All Sparks easier, especially the ex-TiC. The red and orange mech scowled again as he looked at the smaller silver mech.

"Fine, but you better have a quick alt mode. We have to meet up with Soundwave before the solar cycle ends."

"Don' worreh, mech. I go' the hottest wheels on the planet," Jazz boasted.

"Yeah, yeah. Hope they're still there once we get to Iacon." Chemical didn't give Jazz a chance to reply before he transformed and shot off again. Jazz took only a klik to reattach his visor before transforming into the Earthian form of a Pontiac Solstice and shooting off after the older mech. He'd have to comm. Optimus, but he had to admit it. It felt nice to have some action again.

* * *

><p>Sunstreaker was convinced Primus hated him. Why else would the supposed deity stick him with an idiot like the red mech? Sure, there were times when he appreciated his brother being there. In fact, there were times that he would've offlined had his brother not been there, and as such, at normal time, he actually appreciated his brother.<p>

This was not one of those times.

Sideswipe was known very much for his pranking prowess. He was _not_ known for his love matching prowess. Sunstreaker, as he watched his brother move around in front of Prime's front door, wondered idly if this was what a Decepticon felt like just before he took on a Wrecker. Sideswipe had learned early on in their soldiering careers that Prime was _not_ a mech that you wanted to mess with. In a pranking war, Optimus Prime was unmatched, and what Sideswipe was setting up looked frighteningly like a prank.

"Sides… how do you even know this will work? She may not even come by here this cycle," Sunstreaker whined. Sideswipe sent him a glare.

"Jazz told me she loved him. Therefore, she must come here at least once a cycle," Sideswipe retorted, giving Sunstreaker yet another taste of his faulty logic. "Besides, all we have to do is lock them in a room together!"

"Yeah," Sunstreaker said in a deadpan voice. "And that trip cord is gonna do that how…?"

"Don't question my love-producing plans! They will be flawless!" Sideswipe cried out dramatically. Sunstreaker groaned at his twin's theatrics, rubbing his noseplating irritably. He wondered idly how Prime could possibly _not_ hear them. Sideswipe wasn't exactly walking on eggshells.

"Primus! _How_ did I get stuck with you?" Sunstreaker moaned. Sideswipe sent his brother a grin.

"Luck. You'd be dead without me." Well, he couldn't argue there. Sideswipe rose to his wheeled pedes and patted his hands together as if to brush off dust. "Well, it's all set. Let's go hide in that alleyway!" Sideswipe exclaimed as he pointed to an alleyway across the street.

"Yeah," Sunstreaker said in a depressed voice as he followed his overly-enthusiastic brother across the street. "Let's do that." His paintjob was slagged anyways. Why not just finish the job?

* * *

><p>"<em>Freedom, we do not have time for this. Master is calling us back as we speak!"<em> Ravage protested. I couldn't blame him. I had just found out that these bots were planning on using me to become some sort of weapon and that there were apparently more bots headed my way. However, I couldn't leave without a trace. I couldn't do that to my creators. So I decided to tell someone so that they could inform Arcee and Springer.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself was the reason I was standing before Prime's front door. Ravage was seated at my pedes, and his optics hadn't left my faceplates since I had stepped into the growing light of Cybertron's sun. It wasn't bright enough for me to need my visor, but it was enough for me to know that time was short. I was supposed to be at Soundwave's housing unit in two more cycles, so I had six joors, but even that had been considerably cut short since the attack.

Still, I had to see Prime. To give him the message for my parental units, of course. I gave a heavy vent as I pressed the buzzer by the door. My spark sped up a bit when the door slid open. Prime stood there in all his blue and red glory, and I couldn't hold it in anymore. My optics slowly filled with coolant as I gazed at Optimus's puzzle face.

"Moonstrike?" he asked, obviously recognizing my faceplates and figure, which hadn't changed. I nodded sadly. "Primus, femme. Here, come in," he ordered gently, stepping out of the way. I moved to take a step forward and paused when I felt something tug on my foot. I looked down at Ravage, who was staring at something right in front of my pedes.

"_A trip wire, Freedom. Watch your step,"_ Ravage ordered. I smiled as I carefully lifted on foot over the wire. The other pede gently touched it as it followed. There was a _woosh_ as a panel appeared above the outside of the doorway, and a flood of energon rushed toward them. Prime, used to things randomly falling from the ceiling, immediately grabbed me around the waist and yanked me to his chassis. There was an enraged yowl, and when the flow of energon stopped, a completely soaked Ravage was glaring with optics bright with fury at the Prime.

"I am deeply sorry, Ravage!" Prime said immediately, looking horrified at what had just happened.

"_Of course you are,"_ Ravage muttered sarcastically under his breath.

"Ravage, be nice," I ordered gently. Prime shut the door behind Ravage as the cybercat trudged into the housing unit.

"Please, follow me. You may use my wash racks to wash that off," Prime offered. "Moonstrike, if you will wait in my office, I will be there in a moment," Prime told me as he released me from his hold. For some reason, the air seemed colder where I was standing. I shrugged it off and moved into his office. I trotted to his desk, glaring at the large stack of datapads there. As it was, there were three online facing his chair. How the slag could someone read _three_ datas at once? I grinned as my optics scanned over the desktop.

That's when I saw the datapad labeled "Ex-Decepticon: Chemical."

My spark stalled. Why was he doing research on Chem? I frowned as I picked up the pad and onlined it. As I read through it, my spark sank lower and lower in its casing. Torture specialist? Spark experimentation? Experiments on live sparklings? No. Chem wasn't like that. He was my best friend. He would've told me. He never lied to me. He _promised_ _he'd never lie to me._ No, this data had the wrong information. No bot would do these things.

'_But he was a Decepticon. Decepticons do those things,'_ a little voice in the back of my processor whispered. I offlined the datapad and dropped it back onto the desk. Suddenly, I wished I could go back to being a cybercat. No more worries. My only job being to make sure Prime actually refueled and recharged. No problems. No betrayals. My spark shivered in its casing as more coolant rose to my optics.

"Now, how about you give me that explanation?" Prime's gentle voice rose from behind me. I turned to face him, knowing that hiding my tears was pointless. He had been making his way toward me, but he froze at the sight of my tears. "Oh, Primus help me," he muttered. He moved forward and gently took me into his arms.

"I don't know what to do anymore," I whimpered. Prime's engine rumbled in what I assumed was an attempt to comfort me wordlessly.

"Come, Moonstrike. Perhaps the library would be a better environment for your explanations," Optimus suggested. My vents hitched as my overheating systems attempted to drag in more air than normal.

"It doesn't matter where I am! Your library will change nothing! Primus, _you_ can't change anything!" I pulled away from his arms to pace like a caged cybercat. Then again, that was what I was, wasn't I? A caged cybercat. My spark stuttered a little bit, and a second later, affection and assurance was flowing into it from an outside source.

**/All is well, Mistress. Calm yourself./** Ah. I had awakened Socius with my emotions.

"Perhaps I _can_ change something. I cannot help you if you do not tell me what is wrong," Optimus stated as he stepped into my path. "Wearing a rut into my office floor will not solve your problems, though."

"Maybe not, but it makes me feel better," I mumbled. I missed Prime's amused smile as I watched him move to his desk. "I don't even know where I would start." He turned to face me and leaned up against the front of his desk.

"Well, perhaps you should start with the most obvious. Why the frame change?" he asked gently. I glanced down at my Seeker-esque legs.

"After I was transferred from my cybercat frame, my processor started sending me informants telling me that my frame was too weak for my senses. I had a friend examine my processor, and he informed me that I needed cybercat kibble for the messages to go away. So he called in a favor and… well, this is how I am."

"I see. And the propellers?"

"My new alt mode. Chemical wanted to make sure I couldn't get caught without a means of escape again. I'm a helicopter now, just like Opiluk," I informed Prime with a smile.

"That should please Springer. It looks good on you." I felt my spark skip a bit before Prime moved on. "Why are not there now?" Optimus asked. He frowned when I turned my head away from him. "Moonstrike…" he said slowly.

"I didn't mean to, I swear!" I broke in. He was gonna be so mad at me! How was I supposed to explain murdering a mech in cold energon? "He-he broke in, and I could smell the energon on him, and I knew he killed somebot else, and I didn't know what to do, and he started threatening me, and I couldn't let him take me, so I killed him." The torrent of words that came rushing from my mouth careened to a stop at those last three words. I looked up into Prime's unreadable optics, begging him to understand my motives and forgive me. I was _not_ expecting his next actions.

"Primus! Somebot broke into your house and threatened you?" Prime questioned, his optics growing hard. His engine revved a bit, and his smokestacks released the smallest amount of air as a physical show of his ire. How _dare_ some mech threaten his femme! His spark flared hotly in a protective manner. The fallen spark should consider itself _lucky_. Primus knew if the mech was still alive, Optimus _himself_ would hunt down the slagger, yank that spark out, and present it to the femme he had so foolishly attack. Sadly, though, the mech was apparently offline. "And you are unharmed?" Optimus asked, having to be sure of his femme's safety.

"Of course," I said quietly as Prime took my hands as if to ensure that I was still there. "Prime, sir, did you hear me? I killed a mech. That's illegal. Aren't you going to have me arrested?"

"Primus, no!" Optimus exclaimed, horrified by the thought. "I would never have you arrested for defending yourself!" And Prowl would have to get through him to arrest her, and Optimus had no plans on letting his femme see the inside of a containing unit. Optimus glanced at the door at the sound of clacking paws and frowned when Ravage walked in.

"_Freedom, we must leave,"_ the ex-Decepticon said in his tongue. I looked down at him.

"_Is Soundwave calling you again?"_ I inquired. Ravage nodded.

"We have to go," I informed Prime with a sad smile. Prime frowned and opened his mouth to speak. "I don't have time," I interrupted. "Tell my creators not to worry. I'm safe, and Chemical and Soundwave are going to make sure I _stay_ safe."

"Chemical and Soundwave? Moonstrike, they are not-"

"You do not know what they are. Chemical has been better to me than any other bot I know." '_Excluding you,'_ I added in my thoughts. I watched as Prime's optics dimmed momentarily.

"I apologize. I am receiving a comm. from Jazz," Prime said quickly. I smiled.

"Then I shall leave. Good luck," I replied. I turned on my heel and followed Ravage out of the room.

"Wait," Prime called as I approached the front door. He frowned when he stopped in front of me, as if he didn't quite know what to do now that he had me there. He settled for crushing me to him. "Be safe. I would go with you, but I must keep these delegates as happy as possible."

"I understand, Prime-"

"Optimus," the Prime interrupted. I smiled again.

"Very well. I will take care of myself. Til all are one."

"Til all are one," Prime replied. I opened the door and stepped over the trip chord. I glanced down at Ravage, who nodded up at me. I grimaced at the bright light that assaulted my optics and slid my black visor down over my now-sensitive optics. The sun was at its zenith, meaning we were leaving a whole cycle and a half early. I suddenly got a sinking feeling in my tank. This could not be good. _"Lead the way,"_ I ordered. Ravage gave one more nod before bounding off. I gave a single huffing vent before dashing off after him. I wasn't sure what caused this change in plans, but I knew it couldn't be good

Optimus watched as the femme rushed after the ex-Decepticon saboteur, and he couldn't help but feel like she was taking a piece of his spark with her. He gave a single irritated huff.

**::Optimus Prime to Ratchet.::**

**::**_**What**_**.::** Wow. Only Ratchet could make a single questioning word sound like a death threat.

**::I need you to come by my housing unit. I have something to discuss with you about Moonstrike… and… I think my deactivated bond node with Elita is acting up.::** Ratchet's end of the line simply oozed irritation.

**:: Very **_**well.**_** I'll be there in a breem. Ratchet out.::**

Good. That solved one problem. Now to solve the other. Prime looked over at the alleyway two houses over and across the street from him. The golden paint was impossible to miss in the otherwise black alleyway.

"Sunstreaker! Sideswipe!" There was the sound of a punch, followed by a "I knew we'd get caught, you slaggin idiot!" Two twins slowly made their way across the street. The golden one looked furious, while the red one looked thoughtful and rather sly.

"Now, why don't you two come into my office, just like old times, and explain to me just why there was a trip chord and a hidden stash of energon outside my door?" Both mechs crossed their arms, one looking even more irritated, while the other looked much like a cybercat eyeing its prey.

"Sure, Optimus," Sideswipe said easily, "but only if you tell me who that femme with the weird audio receptors and the sexy Seeker legs is."

Optimus was not an overly violent mech, but for once in his life, he was going to take a page from Ratchet's book. He smiled darkly. "Then come on in, Sideswipe, and I'll give you _exactly_ what you deserve." As Sideswipe sauntered inside with his brother, he didn't see the self-repair wrench that the great and noble Prime was wielding until it connected with his helm with a resounding _clank_. Sideswipe rubbed his helm in surprise and looked back at Optimus.

"He just threw a wrench at me," he said in awe.

"Yes, he did," Sunstreaker stated, then he proceeded to slam his fist down on his idiot brother's helm where the wrench had hit. Sideswipe's optics dimmed, and he dropped to the floor in stasis. "Stupid slagger."

"Indeed," Prime agreed, and for once, he understood why Ratchet found such joy in causing idiots pain, even if Sunstreaker's additional attack was unneeded. Nobot messed with his femme.

* * *

><p><strong>Luna Prime-Awesomeness:<strong> The twins are, indeed, the best. Well… I think most Autobots are, and even a few Decepticons get on my "Super Awesome Transformers" list.

**XLizardXQueenX: **I hate it when Fanfic does that to me! It's always on Faecat's updates. I always have to wait an extra day, and it makes me so mad. Glad it was worth the wait, though. :)

**AlexisOptimus:** Many thanks. :) Glad the explanation made sense. I promise Hide'll show up more, though, in a few chapters. Have to get this next event out of the way first.

**ImyourSparkmateX3:** Love the username. I dun think you've ever reviewed, so many thanks for giving me the feedback. =D And yes, this is an OC/Prime story. In reality, there's only one other mech that would pounce on the chance to mate (and remember that mate in their world means marry) her, and that's Rip Rage. Jazz has an interest in her, but isn't quite ready to be tied down. If Oppy doesn't claim her, Jazz will probably find a way to get out of his ultimatum, but he won't have a hard time getting free because Rip Rage will jump in. Ya catch my drift? :)

**Bee-roxs98: **See, my family isn't like that, so it makes it so much more fun to write. I'm like Jazz, my brother's like Prowl (with a bit of Ironhide mixed in), and my sister is Sideswipe all the way. So me and my sister like to gang up on my brother. Not that he makes it difficult. Apparently, you weren't the only one who had trouble viewing this chapter. XD My update day is normally Saturday for this story (unless it's some other day) so you can always expect an update on Saturday, except for tomorrow, cuz I'm updating today *nod nod*. Aw, thanks for the compliments. :) "Down under" Are you from Australia? OoO Overseas… Australia is definitely one of my future visit points *nod nod*

**Kellie Witwicky:** I keep on wanting to write "Widwicky" whenever I write out your username, then I scowl and think, 'Girl, you're writing Transformers fanfics! How the slag can you misspell the Witwicky's name?' -.- Anywho, I answered this question up top, so… yeah…

**Erin Primette:** Well, here ya go :D

**Hummergrey:** LOL. Five is a weird word anyways. *shrug* Like quite. Quite is a weird word.

Yes, Laserbeak is still a youngling, though his appearance matches that of the DotM movie. The only cassettes alive are (listed by age) Ravage, Frenzy, Rumble, Laserbeak, and Ratbat. The other ones, in my opinion, were superfluous and completely unnecessary. And yes, her reunion with Springer will be kinda like that. After his yelling about her fraternizing with the enemy. *Scoff* An Autobot befriending a Decepticon. Disgusting. Ha! Then he'll meet Chem and the world will be a happy place again… Okay, maybe not, but we'll get there when we get there.

… Okay, I totally got lost in that question. Lemme answer as best I can, though. Moon isn't a Seeker, but she is a flyer. Seekers are born as Seekers and can only be raised by Seeker creators because of the huge difference in programming. So, she's not a Seeker, but she has legs framed after one. And Jazz will love the visor. XD

Thank ya, thank ya, thank ya. Drift will be in the next chapter, now that I've got the ball rollin'. I love writing the twins. X3 They're fun to mess with, like Prowl and Prime. And Ratchet.

**Supergirlprime:** Ummm… I'm afraid I can't answer any of your questions without seriously giving away my next surprise twist. Sorry, my friend. I _can_ tell you this, Socius isn't a transformation cog. Think of it this way: in the first movie, in the first scene at the SOCCENT Airbase, when Blackout attacked, he released Scorpinok from his back. That is exactly how Socius is situated. He is to Moonstrike what Ravage is to Soundwave, and he transforms into her back under her propellers just like Scorpinok does. :) Hope that clears up just a bit of your confusion.

**WarriorKat21:** Thank ya, thank ya. I try pretty hard. I was afraid I'd have to call in reinforcements, but it all worked out in the end ;) You will be surprised at who the youngling is (maybe. Hopefully) but I cannot tell ya right now. And Drift is in for the surprise of his lifetime.

**TheHellIKnow:** Thank you… You kinda sounded like my mom right there, just so ya know. -.- My sis says thanks, by the way, and that you're her favorite reader now. Congrats. But wait… if I'm making you happy with the amount of people… then how am I getting on your nerves…? . XD

**Dark-dreams-of-love:** Thanks for the review… and yep, ya got it down pretty well there. Jazz is even on the trip now. XD The Jazz-man is gonna work his love magic. 3

**Iceshadow911247:** XD I had fun writing the Wreckers. They seem like that one family you always know that has to get into everyone's business, but everyone still loves them anyways because they're so rambunctious and loveable. And ya almos' there wi' the Jazz speak. Jus' a bit mo'e prac'ice. :)

**A Wiccan: **Yes, Sideswipe is gonna get Sunstreaker in trouble, and the yellow mech is gonna slag him. ^^'' LOL. The new form is pretty awesome. XD

**Rapidfeather:** Glad ya like em! Moon does too!

**Vivian Hale:** Indeed. Sunny and Sides failed epically (then again, they only had a few breems to plan something that wouldn't be too terrible for the victim and wouldn't take too long to set up) but Jazz will be taking this trip with Chem and Soundwave, meaning he has the next few cycles to put ideas into poor, innocent Moonstrike's helm. Hope you did well on your finals!

**DragonCrazed:** *o* Thanks!

**Jinxed just in Time:** Thanks. I have a few reservations about her new design, but I plan on working that out. It's definitely an idea. I'm not quite sure what Shockwave's relationship with Moonstrike will be yet. Earlier, he called her "his pet", so I've been thinking I should work off of that. He's obsessed with drones, so maybe he just sees her as a sentient drone. He did spend four vorns experimenting on her. *shrug* I just gotta figure out what she would be to him, if anything other than a means to an end.

**UnForGettable323:** Glad things were cleared up. I'm really bad about stringing on my readers, hoping they'll stick around to unravel the mysteries I weave into a story. I always have this little hope in the back of my mind that one of my readers will figure out something before I actually reveal it. :)

**Autobot-Bre:** XD Yes, Arcee and Springer are likely to go on a rampage, but that's in the future. First, she has to deal with Jazz and Chemical leaning over her shoulder during this planned trip for her and Socius.

**3xX-BOTDF-Xx3:** Gotcha! The username makes sense now. As I said, I'm just overly curious. :) Thanks for your compliments, and I hope you liked the update.

**Diamond White:** Sunny and Sides are super fun. :) I think they came out being just a bit lame in this chapter, but I was having trouble planning last night.

* * *

><p>1) Yeah. The SideswipeSunny scene was lame. But think of it this way: the smooth and suave Jazz-man is gonna be attending this trip with Chem, Soundwave, and Moonstrike. Imma have fun with this.

2) Drift will be in the next chapter. Pinky promise.

3) I have a migraine, so I'm gonna get off the computer. Hope all y'all liked it. :)


	22. Forgotten Memories and Lost Feelings

1) I wanna thank all y'all for your understanding. I was so worried when i uploaded that because the responses I had seen on other stories whenever the author uploaded an AN chapter were never really pretty. .

2)I found it very humorous that I got so many new reviewers whenever i allowed a vote for the next fanfic pairing. The poll is still open on my profile. Right now, Sunny and Jazz are tied at fourteen. Blue is at 8, and Megs is at 5. If Jazz and Sunny remain tied, it will be a Sunny/Oc/Jazz fic. Please vote in my poll. :)

3) Shockwave is a creeper, and in this chapter, I made sure to make him creepy. Y'all will likely get a lot of questions answered this chapter. ^.^

4) My mom is already getting better, thank Jesus. However, I died today because our cheer squad's personal trainer decided to give us the x2 cardio workout today. This workout consists of alternating between running the gym, doing guy pushups, doing crunches, and doing two-minute-long plank. Needless to say, i feel dead.

5) My review responses are for chapter 21 only. Sorry, those of you who reviewed chapter 22!

Hope y'all enjoy the chapter.

* * *

><p>Chapter 22<p>

Forgotten memories and lost feelings

5,429 words

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><p>"I'm not sure about this," I murmured uneasily. As expected, Soundwave ignored me as he continued pulling me forward. He had been like this since I had arrived at his housing unit. When he opened the door to me, he had wrapped a hand around my upper arm and had pulled me back the way I had come. His visor and mask revealed nothing of his emotions, and anything I said was ignored. In all honesty, his serious demeanor was frightening me. I had seen this type of demeanor only on mechs that were mentally preparing for battle. I was kind of hoping that on this little adventure, there wouldn't be a need for my sniping rifle and claws. With every determined step Soundwave took towards the docking station, I found that that hope was beginning to dwindle.<p>

"Where are we going, Soundwave?" I asked, barely concealing the quaver in my tone. If we were headed to the docking stations, then it meant we were either headed out of city… or off-planet. I sent Ravage a confused look as he moved discretely by my other side, looking around suspiciously for any threats to our mission. "Soundwave, I'm confused," I retorted, my fear beginning to translate into anger. Why the slag wouldn't he answer me? Soundwave turned his helm minutely in my direction to show that he was acknowledging me and choosing not to answer. I growled impressively, the sound growing from deep in my chassis.

"Questions: unnecessary. Information: classified."

"I'm the one being dragged around! Don't you think I deserve to know some of that 'classified' information?" I snapped irritably.

"No." My mouth dropped open as Soundwave led me to a shuttle that was labeled as being bound for Protihex. My logic center processed this information and attempted to come up with a reason for the trip to Protihex, but none appeared. I studied my surroundings, trying to find Chemical. I knew he'd explain things to me. To my amusement, I found that bots were giving Soundwave a _huge_ berth and trying to avoid optic-contact with him. A few bots gave me pitying looks, while others looked like they very much wanted to swoop in to rescue me. Nobot tried, though.

"Tickets, please?" the conductor-bot requested. Soundwave brought two datapads out of subspace, proving to the conductor that he had paid for our passage. "Very good. Room twenty-four is that way and to the right."

"Actions appreciated,' Soundwave stated as he tugged me down the small hallway. He opened the door to room twenty-four, and I was surprised to see that it was already inhabited by two bots.

"Jazz! Chemical!" This was said at the same time Jazz jumped from his seat and exclaimed, "The femme was Moonstrike?"

"Why is Lieutenant Jazz here?" I asked, peering from one mech to the other.

"Jazz has agreed to assist us," Chemical explained, studiously ignoring Jazz's and my exclamations. "Now, come, Moon. We have much to talk about and little time to talk." I nodded slowly as I moved to Chem's side, glancing around the room as I did. It was a two-berth room with a single circular window and a single bot wash rack. Not much, but it made me wonder where I was going to recharge… Assuming this trip took a long time.

"Moonstrike, there's a lot of stuff you have… well, let's just say that there are lot of secrets that involve you that were kept from you. Moonstrike, I believe the time has come to tell you the story of how I met you," Chemical said grimly as he pulled down to sit beside him.

"How you met me…?" I repeated, not liking where this was going. Chemical nodded.

"Everything Shockwave has ever told you has been a lie. I'm here right now to tell you the truth about what happened, the truth about how we met."

"I…see," I said uncertainly. Chem smiled and rubbed my shoulder much like a father would do to his daughter.

"Moonstrike, I've done some pretty terrible things in the past. I won't lie about that. However, I will not go wrong by you, do you understand. Trust me, and know that what I say is the truth," Chemical said seriously. I nodded slowly. My processor was still running the contents of that datapad on Prime's desk over and over again.

"Very well. I will hear your story," I said diplomatically. I wasn't sure what was truth and what wasn't but perhaps this story would give me an idea of what was what. Chemical smiled at my concession.

"Good. This all started a long time ago…"

* * *

><p>Chemical grinned as he approached his new workspace. Working with Shockwave was quite a step up, and it meant that he no longer had to worry about torturing innocent bots. Shockwave was most known for his drone work, something that Chemical had been dabbling in a few vorns back. If anything, Chemical knew that he could learn quite a bit from Shockwave. He'd only be working on things without a spark now. He'd never have to cause pain again. He finished examining his new lab space, then with a nod of approval, he spun on his heel and strode towards Shockwave's office.<p>

"Medic Chemical, torture specialist and medical assistant, reporting for duty." He forced back the grimace that wanted to rise at the first title he was forced to admit ownership to. A single red optic rose and stared at the red and orange mech. Chemical fought the urge to shudder. Maybe he should have changed his paint scheme to something more subtle. White, black, and lime green would have been perfect.

"Your timing leaves something to be desired. You will meet me in lab two in exactly one point eight nine three (1.893) breems," Shockwave said simply. "Dismissed."

Chemical fought an optic twitch as he spun on his heel and fled the room. _One point eight nine three?_ Who timed a mech down to the _astroseconds_? He grimaced as he set his internal chronometer to that time. He had a feeling Shockwave wouldn't be very forgiving if he was late. So, one point eight nine three breems later, Chemical was walking into lab two.

And he almost gagged.

The femme was laid on her front, face-plates turned toward the door. Her back had been surgically opened, and Chem could tell that Shockwave was repairing a wound to the spinal strut. There was something about seeing the offline femme on the lab table that brought up memories, though. He had never tortured a femme. It went against his beliefs. Femmes were rare and meant to be protected, not tortured. Chemical's optics dimmed as he moved to their side.

"What happened to her?" he inquired. Shockwave didn't even spare him a glance, too focused on his task was he.

"I required a test subject. I retrieved one," Shockwave said simply.

"Why a femme?"

"Variety."

Thus begun their dealings with the femme known as Moonstrike. Chemical watched closely as Shockwave repaired her back strut. Whether he was watching to learn or if he was making sure Shockwave didn't do something to purposefully harm her further, one could never say. However, he kept close by, carefully fighting back his scowl.

"What do you plan to do to her?" Chemical asked suddenly. Once again, Shockwave answered him without looking up from his work.

"This femme will be the center of some rather important research. There is a unit of Autobots that would be better suited as Decepticons. They are known as Wreckers and are known to be strong and brutal, mechs and femmes that get the job done when no others can finish it. Unfortunately, Wreckers are also known for their undying loyalty to their faction and their comrades. I need to find a way to turn that loyalty to Megatron. So, I captured a Wrecker."

"You captured… a Wrecker?" Chem questioned, feeling horror rising inside him. He knew very little about that particular group of Autobots, and in reality, only Wreckers knew a lot about Wreckers, but if there was one thing he knew about Wreckers, it was that they were extremely protective of their own. The last base that held a Wrecker femme captive ended up being completely razed to the ground, all Decepticons inside slaughtered mercilessly.

"Yes. It was ridiculously easy as well. A simple shot to the spinal strut, and she was offline. She appears to be a sniper, and as such, she was nowhere near the other Wreckers, thus making her an easy and ideal target. With her as a test subject, I plan to create a type of coding that would make her subservient to the Decepticon commanders. I have put together a procedure to suppress her memory files as well. My secondary goal is to completely alter her memory files without modifying her personality chips."

"And what do you want me to do?" Chemical asked, not really knowing if he wanted the answer. This time, Shockwave looked up at him.

"Make sure she does not offline during my studies," he said simply. He looked back down at his work. "A dead Wrecker is useless to me. You will also form a relationship with the subject to form a hypothesis on the results of the new coding."

Chem was silent. This was not something he wanted. Torture on bots he didn't know? He could do that as long as he offlined his audio receptors. Cleaning up after experiments on sparklings? Once again, it was possible for him as long as he was certain the sparklings had felt no pain. But allowing a mech to experiment on a femme he was planning on having a relationship of some sort with? Would it be possible for him to deceive a femme he would be getting personally involved with? Shockwave locked his optic on him when he didn't reply right away.

"Come now, Chemical. Do not tell me you do not wish to assist me on this project. I have seen your record. I can see the thirst for knowledge in your optics. I know you wonder if it can be done. Surely you do not want me to send you back where you came from. I am certain I could find another mech that would gladly assist me on this, especially with a femme so attractive-"

"No!" Chem burst out. He quickly collected his anger, though, and trained his face into a blank look of partial interest. "I believe I am the mech for this. I am sure my disposition is best for this assignment."

"Very good. Your assignment begins now," Shockwave replied as he welded the femme's back plating back together. "You will remain here until she wakes up. Her pains sensors are offline, and when she awakens, you will tell her that she was just saved from a serious helm wound. She is to know that Shockwave took pity on her because she was so young, compute?"

"Yes, sir!" Chemical replied with a curt nod. Shockwave nodded back before quitting the room. Chemical looked down at the femme with a sigh. This was gonna be a long cycle.

And a long cycle it was, as were the seven following solar cycles that the femme recharged through. Chemical remained by her side, feeding her frame energon through an intra-linear (Inside the energon line) tube as she recharged. Every other cycle, he would retrieve energon for himself, but for the most part, he remained stationary, afraid that she would online while he was away and begin to panic. He had just returned from one of those energon breaks when he heard a decidedly feminine voice coming from the berth before him.

"Who are you? Where am I?" He jolted lightly as he looked at the femme. Cerulean blue optics were locked on him, and the teal femme was beginning to roll onto her back.

"No, don't move," Chemical ordered, moving forward and easing the femme back down onto her front. "You were injured."

"Injured…? Wha' happened…?" she murmured, her optics dimming a little. Chem fought back a scowl as he prepared to answer. He knew without a doubt that Shockwave would be listening in, and it would do neither Chem nor the femme on the berth any good if he disobeyed orders and got himself killed. So, lifting up a silent apology, he spoke the pre-organized words.

"You were shot in the helm by a Decepticon scout. Shockwave found you and took pity on you due to your age and your gender. He brought you here and repaired your damage."

"But… who are you…?"

"My designation is Chemical. I'm your ally. I'm here to make sure you get better." The femme smiled slightly, optics fading to black as she slipped into recharge. Chemical gave a breezy huff. He hated this, but before he could get her out, he had to figure out a good plan, and good plans took time. He glanced over at Shockwave as the singled-opticed mech moved into the room.

"Very good, Chemical. You are dismissed. It is time for my first experiment to commence."

That was how the next vorn went. He would walk into the room and sit there until the femme woke up. She could never remember meeting Chemical the solar cycle before. She could never recall how she got there. Chemical would feed her the same lie every time she onlined, and she would always accept it with misplaced trust. Then she would offline again from exhaustion that she couldn't understand. Many times, she would ask if her injury was seeping her strength away, and Chem never had the spark to inform her of her status as an experiment being used to discover a way to control her kind, so he always told her that it was just because of a pain-killer.

After she offlined, Shockwave would always come in. Sometimes it was a joor afterwards. Sometimes it was a breem. He always showed up, though, and he'd shoo Chemical away, locking the door behind him.

So, needless to say, it was quite surprising to Chem when he found the femme seated on Shockwave's lap when he strode into the scientist's office. Shockwave was comfortably lounged back in his desk chair, a datapad in his hand. The femme was seated sideways on his lap, legs curled beside her as she leaned over onto Shockwave's massive armored chest and listened to Shockwave as he read what appeared to be a youngling story to her. Shockwave paused in his reading to look up at Chem. The femme looked up at the scientist when he went silent, then followed his gaze to look at Chemical with wide, innocent optics.

"Ah, Chemical. Greetings. I do not recall introducing you to my daughter. Moonstrike, this is Chemical, one of my colleagues. Chemical, this is my femme creation, Moonstrike," Shockwave said evenly. Moonstrike gave him a frighteningly childish grin, something that looked completely unnatural on her pre-adult frame.

"Hi, Chemical. Opi was jus' readin' to me abou' the Seeker that wanted to explore the Sea a' Light!" the femme chirped, cuddling closer to the mech she was seated on.

**::You said you would not alter her personality:: **Chem said angrily to his superior over private omm.. Shockwave sent him a dark glare.

**::I will do whatever I wish. I desired to experience the relationship between a mech and his creation. Worry not. I will return her to her correct state of mind. She is still an experiment.::** Shockwave sent the femme currently cuddled to his chassis a disturbingly fond look. The smile on his face seemed to morph into a conniving smirk as he added almost wordlessly, **::But she is **_**my**_** experiment::** With that, Shockwave returned to reading the story to his "youngling". Chemical frowned as he left the office. He had to get the femme out. It was rare for Shockwave to get attached to something, seeing as he normally only worked on things that had no sparks. However, at the moment, femmes were extremely rare, due to the mass genocide of their gender, and Shockwave undoubtedly felt that he had gotten his servos on something extremely valuable. So like any new technology he discovered, he became possessive of it. What threw Chem off, though, was the emotional attachment he had built. Possessiveness he could understand, but changing her personality to believe him to be her creator? It made no sense. Chem shook his helm and went back to his lab. There was a nice little drone research project waiting for him there. Perhaps it could give him a sense of normality.

The femme remained under the belief that she was Shockwave's creation for almost an orn. The scientist was forced to return her to normal when she managed to get into his lab. Once she got there, her youngling-like curiosity would not be appeased until she had onlined every drone and spilt nearly every chemical. Chem, using the power that gave him his designation, drew the spilt chemicals from the flat surfaces they had been knocked onto and into new beakers, carefully using his mind to separate the particles of accidentally mixed chemicals. Once he had cleaned up his namesake, he led a sorrowful Moonstrike away from an extremely irate Shockwave. That first lunar cycle, Chemical was dismissed from the procedure room. When he met Moonstrike again the following solar cycle, she no longer remembered how she got there or why she was tired. She did, however, remember that Shockwave had helped her. She remembered that Chemical was the nice mech that always talked to her when she woke up from recharge, and she remembered that Shockwave enjoyed spending his time with her and teaching her.

And the cycle began again.

For two vorns, Chemical watched with barely concealed hatred as Shockwave taught Moonstrike about drones during the solar cycle, then experimented on her when she recharged the first lunar cycle. The second lunar cycle, Chemical spent rubbing her helm, trying to fight off the night terrors that she never remembered having when she next onlined. He had to fight back retorts whenever Shockwave greeted him the following solar cycles before pulling Moonstrike into a tight hug, as if he cared about her. And maybe he _did_ care about her on some sort of level, but Chemical couldn't stand watching her run to the mech that consistently caused her anguish lunar cycle to lunar cycle.

Then at the end of the fourth vorn spent with them, Shockwave received the shocking news that changed everything.

Megatron was dead. He was defeated by Optimus Prime shortly after Sentinel Prime was offlined. His body, unfortunately, was on some unknown planet in the Alpha-10 quadrant. Not only that, but the space bridge technology had failed. It was over, and the Decepticons had been defeated. Shockwave, however, refused to accept defeat, so he started planning.

"We must have Megatron back for my plans to work, and I know how we will get him back, too," Shockwave informed Chemical, whom he had called to his office only moments earlier. Chem cocked his helm.

"Oh?"

"Yes. The Well of All Sparks will hold his spark for at least a vorn because of the Matrix's current location. Offlined sparks cannot be judged if one of the resting places is absent, and there is quite a list of sparks that still need to be judged," Shockwave explained. "What we need is a body as well as a creature that is relatively innocent to the war."

"A crea…ture…?" Chem repeated slowly, not liking where this was heading.

"Yes. Moonstrike has only been in two battles, and she has only killed one bot. She spent most of her life sheltered, and she spent her youngling years training as a sniper and a saboteur. Once she was captured, though, the Wreckers didn't allow her to attend another mission. Yes, our little femme is the perfect candidate to retrieve Megatron's spark from the Well."

"I doubt she will be willing-"

"It does not matter. She has slave programming now. She will have no choice but to obey," Shockwave interjected. He glared at the red and orange mech. "You will maintain your relationship with her. I will be procuring a hidden lab in Iacon. I will be gone for no longer than an orn."

"Yes, sir," Chemical replied easily. Shockwave nodded at the acknowledgement. It took Shockwave that full vorn to get a lab in such a place that surviving Autobots and Decepticons would not find him. When Shockwave returned, though, he informed Chemical completely of the new plan. They would tip off Autobot rescue teams of Moonstrike's position in the small science base. Chemical and Shockwave would then abandon the base and go to their new lab while the Autobots came to rescue the Wrecker femme, who would very likely be taken to a Wrecker base to receive medical treatment.

Chemical was forced to watch via security cameras as the group of elite Wreckers tore through the base. Ultra Magnus was at the front of the group followed closely by a vicious-looking Springer and a furious Arcee. Leadfoot and Roadbuster had teamed up and turned down on hallway, as Twin Twist and Topspin moved down another. The three leading Wreckers went straight to the main lab, anger in their optics and determination in their strides. The door opened, revealing Moonstrike offline on a berth.

"Moon," Arcee breathed as she approached the berth. Springer and Magnus kept their guns up and aimed, covering for the femme Wrecker as she approached the young one. She gently shook Moonstrike's shoulder, wanting to interrupt her recharge cycle to check for injuries. Blue optics onlined and focused on Arcee.

"Danni? Where… where am I? Why am I so… tired…?"

"You just onlined, sweetspark. We're going to get you out of here, okay? Everything is going to be just fine," Arcee promised as her mate moved to Moonstrike's side. Springer subspaced his weapon and gently cradled his creation against his chassis. Feeling much like a youngling, Moonstrike cuddled closer. Springer smiled down at her and nodded to Ultra Magnus, who led the way out while the remaining four Wreckers tore the base down from the inside out.

"That's everything you don't know," Chemical finished, looking rather weary for a mech that preferred to hum while he worked. I stared at him in awe before revulsion took my systems.

"I cuddled up in _Shockwave's_ lap?" I asked, horrified at the thought. I couldn't remember it, and I was glad I couldn't. My processor flitted between the possible situations I might have been placed in, and my memory core sifted through files as it attempted to drag up just a small snippet of my time in Shockwave's base. The only memories I had, though, were of the lessons he taught me, the stories he read me as I lay weakly on my berth, trying to recover from wounds that I now know that he caused me during experiments. It was all the same: happy memories. It was sickening.

"Bet it wasn't as comfor'ble as when ya cuddled up in Prime's lap as a cat," Jazz teased, trying to break the tense air that held the room. I shot him a withering glance.

"How long will this flight take?" I asked Chemical. He shrugged.

"We should be there by next solar cycle. We have to clear the Sea of Light before we hit Protihex. From the docking station, we have to drive, or in your case, fly, to the Well of All Sparks. We have to get Megatron's spark before Shockwave does. Do you think you can do this? We may run into a few Decepticons on the way there," Chemical warned. I gave him a feral smile and lifted my claws delicately.

"Wreck and rule, Chemical," I replied. I glanced around at the three bots in turn. "Now, where do I sleep?"

* * *

><p>Optimus frowned at Ratchet as he closed up his chest plates.<p>

"What do you mean nothing's wrong?" he questioned. Ratchet sighed. It had been a quick exam, but then again, checking bond nodes wasn't exactly a difficult procedure.

"Exactly what I said, Prime. Whatever feelings you feel are not coming from that bond node. Elita is offline, and that bond node proves it. I'm sorry, Prime, but the node isn't your problem."

"Then explain what the problem is," Optimus requested as he sat up on his berth.

"Optimus, you say your spark stutters whenever this femme is nearby. You apparently have extremely possessive and protective instincts over her. You search for reasons to be around her and worry about her whenever she's not around. You threaten other mechs that claim to desire her, and she is always on your processor." Ratchet gave Optimus a frank look. "Prime, your problem is that you may be love." Optimus felt his spark stop, then it started thrumming overtime in distress.

"In love? Ratchet, it is not possible for me to be in love like that anymore. My sparkmate is permanently offline. My spark only thrummed for Elita, and the deactivated sparkmate bond node is evidence that I cannot love another."

"But what if you could? You know that Glyph was not Brawn's first mate. Perhaps your spark has taken a fancy to another femme, one that's alive and available to you," Ratchet suggested.

"How could I do this to Elita?" Optimus mumbled to himself. Unfortunately, Ratchet heard and sent Prime with a fierce glare.

"Optimus Prime, Elita would be ashamed of you! She gave her spark for our war, and I can guarantee she would be angry to find that you have refused to move on. If this femme has caught your attention, then perhaps it is for a good reason. Aren't you tired of being alone? Don't you want a bot to come home to after a grueling day? You have a femme that your spark is willing to bond with. You had best claim her before some other mechs does. After all, any mech would love to mate a femme who has obvious ties to the Prime." The last part was said in an off-handed manner, but it received the growl of rage Ratchet wanted. He knew of the pain of an offlined sparkmate, and if his spark accepted another femme, he would bond without a second thought. Optimus deserve happiness, and if the only way Ratchet could ensure his happiness was to force him to act, then so be it. Ultimatums always _were_ his forte. And when ultimatums didn't work, a swift hit to the helm normally finished up the job. Ratchet sincerely hoped Optimus wasn't dense enough to force him to that point, though.

"Perhaps you are right…" Optimus said softly. His optics brightened slightly. "I will have to plan for her return. If I am going to do this, I will do it right." Perhaps Elita would be able to forgive him if he did right by this femme. Ratchet gave his long-time friend a rare smile.

"Very good. Now, I must go. I just sent me a omm.. Apparently, he just told the Wreckers about our discoveries on your little ex-cybercat's coding," Ratchet stated as he subspaced the few tools he had taken out.

"'Discoveries'?" Optimus repeated flatly. Ratchet nodded.

"Yes. She had slave coding from Shockwave. Plus, her days as a cybercat have apparently changed some of the coding in her processor," Ratchet replied, not really liking the way Optimus's optics were brightening in fury.

"She came here with an updated frame," Optimus informed the medic. Ratchet scowled.

"That fool! Now Arcee's _really_ gonna slag me! Primus!" Ratchet swore colorfully. Maybe he could talk Perceptor into telling the Wreckers about the frame change, too. He didn't mind telling them about the coding… He swiftly sent him a comm. message, asking for a favor.

"I must go. Til all are one," Ratchet said in farewell. He didn't wait for a reply before leaving. Optimus, however, didn't move. His battle computer whirred to life.

He was in love. He was in love, and he didn't know if the femme was in love with him. He'd have to plan well. He needed to woo her without angering her kin. With a decisive nod, Optimus made his way into the library and moved to the section in the back. It was a section specifically kept away from the others and for good reason. These shelves contained books that he had filed away as being Elita's favorites. He scanned the titles and easily found the one he wanted.

_The Common Language of Love._

* * *

><p>Drift watched silently from the street as the medics carried the offlined body of the obvious intruder out of the house and into the transport hover-vehicle. A scowl hardened his features as he watched them leave with the body of Blackshadow, a mech Drift had hated for a long time. The ex-Decepticon had been in training while Drift was still a part of the Decepticon faction, and the mech's arrogant attitude was severely misplaced, seeing as he was hardly any good at shooting or fighting servo-to-servo. In fact, the only thing Blackshadow <em>had<em> been good at was sneaking around and pissing everybot off. Drift had no regrets in the loss o fthe irritating mech's life. He was, however, curious as to who was lucky enough to kill him. With a shrug, he moved toward the front door silently. Only one way to find out.

"Hey. Lemme in," he ordered once he had finished mashing the buzzer button. Springer was the one to open the door. There was only a brief look of surprise, followed by an expression of sheer confusion.

"Drift?"

"Yeah, that's me. I need to find your femme creation," Drift stated, getting right to the point. Springer's face grew grim.

"Well, we do, too. Come on in. You can replenish your energon stores as we talk," Springer offered in an authoritative voice. Drift nodded once before accepting the invitation. Springer directed him to the kitchen, and Arcee immediately rose to her pedes to fill a cube of energon.

"So, Drift, who sent you here?" Springer asked. Drift slouched into a chair and looked at the green Wrecker.

"Ultra Magnus. The Wreckers are worried about Moonstrike's safekeeping. They want you three to move back into the Wrecker housing system. It _was_ a base, and it still has the defense systems. Moonstrike would be safe, and she would be around bots that care for her. Your chances at finding her a mate would rise considerably. There are plenty of Wrecker mechs that would love to spend more time with her."

"So, you want us to drop all of our work to go live in the housing system?" Arcee asked incredulously. Drift shook his helm.

"I don't think Ultra Magnus is requiring _you two_ to live there. He only worries about Moonstrike," Drift asserted. Springer scowled as Arcee frowned.

"He so overprotective," the mech mumbled irritably. Arcee sent him a scathing glare.

"Opiluk is doing what he thinks is necessary. Necessity aside, though, I refuse to leave my femme creation there. She will be safe enough here with us," Arcee stated.

"Magnus kind of expected you to say that, so he assigned me to be Moonstrike's official bodyguard," Drift said cheerfully. Springer stared at the white mech, his expression caught somewhere between irritation and horror. Why did Magnus always try to run their lives? _Why_ would they send another Wrecker to live with them? Three Wreckers in one housing unit was enough! Springer thought swiftly, trying to come up with a solution.

"Perhaps you should _locate_ our femme creation before you begin guarding her," Springer said smoothly. Drift frowned.

"So neither of you know where she is?" he asked. Springer and Arcee both answered in the negative. Drift glanced between the two worried creators and nodded to himself. "Very well. Then I will take my leave. Do you know any bots that are close to her? Any bots she would go to if she felt threatened?"

"Optimus Prime," Arcee said immediately. "She's been spending… a lot of time with him."

"Optimus Prime. It figures our femlet would end up befriending the noble leader," he mumbled to himself with a small smile. He nodded his farewell to the two bots and moved to the front door.

"Drift!" Springer called out, causing the bot to pause and glance back. "Make sure she stays safe."

"I will, mech. Wreck and rule," he replied easily. Springer grinned at the old Wrecker motto.

"Wreck and rule, mech." With that, Drift let himself outside. Next stop, the Prime's personal housing unit.

* * *

><p><strong>AlexisOptimus:<strong> Aw, shucks. :) The wrench-throwing was kinda random. . It bugged me when I reread it. Didn't seem like the OPTIMUS PRIME way of doing things, ya know?

**XLizardXQueenX:** Nope. Jazz didn't know who the femme was. He just knew that it was a femme. :) And yes, I love Science and Fiction! I really hope Proxy and Sideswipe get together! X3

**Kellie Witwicky:** Neh, I needed to. I don't want all y'all to be confused. That would suck, cuz all y'all would be confused and then y'all'd have those . faces. Those always suck. *nod nod* Besides, completely writing out the character description helped cement it in my own mind. It's a win/win. :)

**Rapidfeather:** Sarah said that, though she would love to give you her signature, she currently does not have one. Thank you for the compliments. Somehow, I think Sunstreaker would do something like that if Sideswipe really pissed him off like that. Sunny doesn't like authority, but he respects the Prime for what he does. *nod nod*

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** :) Glad I could keep your attention. In the next few chapters, the action will _really_ begin.

**Crissy-Fenix-Prime:** Aw thanks. I appreciate your review. :) I'm glad the story can keep ya entertained. ;)

**Iceshadow911247:** O.O Whoa! Long review! That means long review response! I felt bad for Ravage as well, but I had to do something for the prank and that was the best I could come up with on short notice . I have better ones planned for their future interference. *nod nod* I giggled as I wrote the part about Jazz's visor breaking. I couldn't resist putting it in there. In all honesty, nobody ever writes Jazz's visor breaking, so I was like, 'Why the slag not? Nothing's unbreakable.' So I wrote it in. :D

OoO I knew it! I saw a Firebird the other night with an Autobot insignia on the headlights and on the rear window! I believe! They are real! The movie was a cover-up, I'm telling you!

Glad the cats are okay. I'd go after Jayson first if the house caught fire. Well, I'd go for Sarah first, but Jay would be a close second!

**Autobot-Bre:** Well… ya know what happened next… Glad you didn't mind the ending. I didn't like how un-Optimus…y the wrench-throwing was. Yes, this fic is based off Bayverse.

**Mrsharrypotter:** Thank you for your review! :) I can see that you are definitely on Prime's side when it comes to the Sideswipe/Optimus Wrench Attack. XD Glad you liked it.

**Jmqe:** Thanks :)

**Vivian Hale:** I hate it when the finals are easy. :( Makes me feel like I did something wrong. . Hope ya did well! If they were easy, chances are you did well on them. :) I was _gonna_ make Chem a Decepticon, but I just… couldn't. He's just too innocent! It's like making Bumblebee a Decepticon. It just wouldn't work. -.- Teehee. Yeah… Poor Moon. XD

**Exactlywhat:** Well, thanks for reviewing! :) I remember your PMs. You were so sweet, and had an accent like mine! :D I'm gald you enjoy the updates. Arcee and Springer's parental fury will definitely make a show, but not for a few chapters. A few things gotta happen first, but it will most definitely be fun to write and read. ^-^

**Diamond White: **^-^ I figured after twenty chapters, Prime should finally figure out his feelings. He's still gonna flounder a bit, but for the most part, he's made up his mind. Yeah, Sides needs to learn when to offline his vocal processor. ^^''

**Bee-roxs98:** ! I hope you feel better! XD Yes, it is. Friends, too. It's sad that nobody ever really understands, though. They don't see that the Autobots and Decepticons actually have personalities. . "No, Ironhide isn't only a trigger-happy killer. He has a sweet side. He has a wife that he loves and he has a soft spot for sparklings and younglings." "No, Sideswipe isn't just a hard-core swordsman. He actually loves to prank the other Autobots, especially a guy named Prowl." "Ratchet isn't just a robot mechanic. He actually has quite a temper, and he throws wrenches at bots whenever they don't cooperate in his medbay." It gets old. :( No other Transfans. Well, other than my sister and Dyl, but they don't count, cuz Dylan isn't as into it as I am, and Sarah is only thirteen. We can't have deep, Optimus-esque conversations. -.-

I didn't know this fic had grown to being a drug. 0.0 Can't complain, though. I definitely take it as a compliment ^-^

Oh, hey! I watched kiddie Barbie movies all last Monday! Not January 1, but the Monday before! We watched Barbie and the Three Musketeers, Rapunzel, Fashion Fairytale, and the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Then we watched some Bratz movies. They actually aren't too bad, if you don't mind the corny humor and the complete lack of logic. -.-

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness: **Glad ya liked it. I always love starting the day by reading a chapter update of someone's story. It's my coffee. ^-^

**A Wiccan:** Glad to be an inspiration, and I'm glad you like Moon's new frame. :)

**Darth Krande:** Teehee. Loved your comment. I'm pretty sure Chem can pull up some of his old techniques for ol' Shocky. *evil smile*

Well… here's the deal. In actuality, all the major Decepticons (Screamer, Megsy, Shocky, Soundwave, 'Cade) were all killed. However, my plot would be non-existent without them… so I used the mighty power of the writer to resurrect Shockwave, and I saved his life by allowing him to experiment of Moonstrike during the last four vorns Megatron spends on Earth (that sounded a lot crueler on paper than it did in my mind… .) And… yeah, this is bayverse with G1 influence. I had ta have the Wreckers. I just had ta. ^o^ They're my current obsession and a major part of my plot. Major, _major_ part. =)

**TheHellIKnow:** XD A) I will take your advice. Logic is a fickle thing anyways. ;) B) Thank Primus, cuz Heaven knows I don't need another mom. -.- One's enough. C) My sister appreciates the sentiment. :) D) Well, thanks. I try. *tosses hair dramatically* I was studying Ravage's picture as I made up her design. I wanted the double-jointed legs, but it took me forever to figure out how to make them work. Then I remembered that ol' Chicken Legs (Starscream) had two joints, too. Success! XD Well, here's the update you were waiting on. :)

**Hummergrey:** "Cuddly plates"? XD ROFL! I can _so_ picture Optimus Prime pinching her cheeks and cooing, "Who's my little cuddly plates? Yes, you are my little cuddly plates!" But, yes, that was the idea of keeping the name Freedom.

And… Yes. It is now a race to retrieve Megatron's spark… And the other questions will not be answered until a later chapter. They will land in Protihex next chapter, then everything will start snowballing.

Glad you liked it. I was trying to think of something that would force Prime to pull Moonstrike close to himself. This was the best I had on short notice. -.- Their next attempt will be better, I swear! I already got it planned out. :)

I figure Ratchet, Ironhide, and Prowl would be good and using a single-word threat. I think Prowl would be the scariest, though.

**Jinxed just in Time:** Then I was successful. I actively plan to surprise all y'all. :D makes y'all wanna stay for more. ;)

**Supergirlprime:** Well, he's not a mini-con, because he doesn't have a spark yet. He's just a very smart drone. But no, he's not the actual cog. 0.0 Life as a transformation cog would suck .

**UnForGettable323:** Teehee. He _did_ give prime an ultimatum…

**Erin Primette:** Awwwwriight…? :D

**Ninja Star Light:** LOL. I love reading all caps, because it's like yelling in your mind XD

**Lynnie-Lou:** Wow. I could definitely say some pretty interesting stuff to you. Oh, and I'd love to see what Dylan would say back. Last I heard, you two weren't on very good terms. Tell me, did you ever apologize?

Aero was a jet, not a copter, so I highly doubt Moonstrike has his blades.

Maybe if you picked up your phone, we could have an in-depth conversation about why you have been ignoring me for the last few months. Are you pissed at me, or at my support for Dylan's case? Yes, Jayson is still loud, but what kind of Cockatiel would he be if he wasn't singing in the morning? How's Tarah and Jazz? I'm sure Jayson would be much happier if his two pals were still nearby. Sarah is doing fine. You should call her. She finally talked mom into a cellphone. And I know all about Roxy, thanks. We talk all the time. Did you hear that her mom finally finished rehab? Drug-free for six months. Hopefully the twins and Roxy will keep her that way.

I would expect Florida to be humid, or are you even _in_ Florida anymore? And maybe if you hadn't left, you wouldn't me and the Rox anymore. And, no. I didn't finish that story. I have to figure out how to personify Megatron before I write him out. Last thing I need is a Sunstreaker-esque Megatron. And don't push it. I doubt you want me airing our dirty laundry via fanfic. :( I can write something _like_ our story, but I refuse to put our personal dealings on a public website. Our drama is just that: ours. When I wanna write an overly angsty story, I'll call you up. ;)

You should get an account. Maybe we could PM. Clear up the murky water and repair this friendship. It's funny how humanity works, ain't it? We have to talk to each other from time-to-time to consider each other friends. Don't ya jus' hate that? Call me, please, and if Percy picks up the phone again, I _will_ have Patrick Whip-cream you in your sleep. Don't think I won't, either. I know use my soldiers!

And Megatron sucks! Sideswipe for president! (SS) Your official Sideswipe badge. (See? I can be civil ;))

Kitty-Coo? Really? I might have to throw something at you for that one, assuming we ever meet again. You wanna know what's funny? All my readers are probably reading this with a look like this: 0.o And, I'm sorry, my friend, but I'm still on Dylan's side. :( His is more logical.

My poor confused readers. XD

**Angel897:** thank you for the review. :) Glad you enjoy it!

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><p>Sorry, guys. My autocorrect went on the fritz. . Anywho... Optimus finally accepts his feelings, and Shockwave is seen as a creeper, and Drift begins his investigation. Fun, fun, fun!<p> 


	23. Evil Mechs, Fire Drills, Wandering Hands

1) Yeah, this one is short, but it's two updated in one week, and the last chapter was super long, so it works, right?

2) Imma warn you now. You will hate me at the end of this chapter. I haven't given you any extreme cliffhangers during this story, but... I'm sorry! It was so _dramatic_! I had to end it there! The Sideswipe on my left shoulder told me that my readers would forgive me, while the Sunstreaker on my right shoulder said, "Who slaggin' cares about them. Go brush your hair. It's frizzing, and I refuse to be the conscience of a girl with frizzy hair." So the twins made me do it! Forgive me!

3) I realized during review replied this chapter that I say "Ya know", "Catch my drift?", and "Ya know what I mean" alot. i also start out almost all of my review replies with "yeah", "yup", or "yep"...

4) **MY POLL WILL BE CLOSING MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012! IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED AND WISH TO, GO TO MY PROFILE AND CAST YOUR VOTE. RIGHT NOW, SUNNY AND JAZZ ARE IN THE LEAD. BY ALOT.**

5)Oh! And while I'm thinking about it. Some of the PMs I received made me worry that I was leading y'all astray, so lemme clear the waters for all y'all. Jazz is not trying to steal Prime's femme. Right now, he's just teasing her because he thinks she's fun to mess with. Yes, he likes her, and yes, as more time passes before Prime claims her, Jazz's advances will become more obvious. However, Prime is one of his best friends, and he isn't going to try to court her unless he is certain Prime isn't in love with her. If Prime doesn't claim her, then yes, Jazz would act on his ultimatum. However, for now, he's keeping his relationship with Moonstrike at a friendship. Remeber, guys, this is an Optimus/OC, not a Jazz/oc. :)

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><p>Chapter 23<p>

Evil mechs, fire drills, and wandering hands

2,943 words

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><p>Shockwave scowled from his seat behind his desk. Across from him, a green mech was scowling deeply as he waited for a reply of any sort. Silence was a rather frightening thing when it came to the Decepticon leaders. Oftentimes, a prolonged silence ended with the sound of a gunshot and a dead body hitting the ground.<p>

"So you're telling me Chemical and Soundwave took my femling and are transporting her to Protihex as we speak?" Shockwave asked very slowly, his voice filled with anger. The green mech nodded briskly.

"Yes, sir. They left at the very end of the last solar cycle," the Decepticon replied.

"Meaning they will get there before the coming of the next solar cycle," Shockwave surmised in an irritated voice. He gave the mech a level stare. "I want every flight-capable mech on the move. Take down that ship and bring back the femme alive. I want Chemical and Soundwave dead, and I want their helms brought to me on spears, compute?"

"Yes, sir!" the green mech said with a nod.

"Very good. You are dimissed," Shockwave finished. The green mech saluted and walked away. Shockwave snarled darkly once the door shut behind the mech. How dare Chemical betray him! And worse, how dare Soundwave betray Megatron! They would pay for this, and they would pay dearly.

The green mech jogged through the small base and headed to the large hanger that housed the flyers. He grimaced as he moved inside the hanger. He hated flyers as much as they hated grounders, and Decepticon flyers weren't exactly known for their kind dispositions.

"What the slag is a ground-pounder doing in here?" the deep voice of Blackout rose from the hanger as the grounder entered.

"I have orders from Shockwave. He wants all flight mechs to hunt down a shuttle known as the _Free-Ringer_. It is moving from Iacon to Protihex. Flyers are ordered to take down the ship, capture the femme known as Moonstrike, and bring back the helms of Soundwave and Chemical."

"Yes! We finally get some action!" Thrust cheered. Ramjet and Dirge exchanged delighted looks before following their trine mate to the hanger exit. The green mech turned on his heel and beat a hasty retreat. He didn't know if the flyers were willing to run over him, but he wasn't taking the chance. Within kliks, every flyer was transformed and on their way to the Sea of Light, where they planned on intercepting a certain shuttle.

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><p>Optimus was restless. He was known for many things, his bravery, leadership skills, and patience being the top three. He was not known for his flirting. He was not known for his ability to woo any femme. He was not known for his ability to talk to a femme he liked without stuttering. Why? Because he hadn't ever had to. When Prime had met Elita, <em>she<em> had been the one making the advances, seeing as Optimus was too busy with his apprenticeship to deal with courting a femme. Now that he had finished that slaggin' book, he was beginning to wonder if it was even possible. The words of the book seemed only to contradict themselves.

_Be straight-forward, but don't come on too strong. Take control, but allow her to set the pace. Give her many gifts, but not too many. Court for a long time, but not too long._ It made no sense to the mech.

Now, when he was supposed to be paying attention to the delegates in seat below his balcony, all he could do was run his future plans through his battle computer and logic center. Soundwave was absent again, and Ultra Magnus had been kept at the Wrecker housing center for some reason or another. Thundercracker was currently polishing his null rays, and Mirage was fingering his plasma rifle. It appeared that none of them were paying attention, and in reality, none of them were.

**::Optimus Prime, I require a meeting with you:: -Drift**

Optimus almost jolted when the message popped up on his HUD. He was still for a klik, then his optic ridges furrowed in confusion. Who the slag was Drift? Optimus allowed a small frown.

**::Meeting request granted. I will be in my office at the Meeting Hall in two breems… unless I can find a way to escape – leave – earlier:: Optimus Prime**

Prime grimaced, wishing he could go back and fix the slip-up. He shrugged lightly, though, a moment later. No reason to worry about it. What happened had happened. No way to fix the past, so there was no use focusing on it.

**::I believe I can help you there. Be ready to leave in 3…2…1:: -Drift**

The next klik, the fire alarm started shrieking. Delegates jolted in surprise, then they all surged from their seats at once, trying to get out before the "fire" got to the room. Optimus watched the chaos with a sense of indifference. He knew he was safe and that the delegates were only in danger of being trampled by other delegates. That should probably disturb him, but at the moment, it really didn't. Did that make him a bad mech? He shook his helm as he brushed the question out of his processor. At the moment, he needed to head to his office.

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><p>Drift was a patient bot. This was easily proved by the extreme patience he exhibited while trying to explain to the big, black, tank of a mech-wrecker that stood before the Prime's office door why he needed inside.<p>

"I told you, I have an appointment with him," Drift repeated. Ironhide scowled at the slightly shorter bot.

"I'm sure you do. Sadly, the Prime is a little too busy right now," he said flatly. Drift fought back the urge to just stab the mech and walk over his dying body to reach the Prime for his meeting. He really, _really_ didn't have time for this. He had a mission that he needed to complete, and in order to succeed, he needed to speak to the Prime.

"Let me past. Last warning," Drift snapped, losing that patience. Ironhide gave him a smug grin as he onlined his twin cannons, an obvious challenge to attack. Drift scowled and reached for the sword sheathed on his right hip. Before he could pull it from the sheath, though, Optimus Prime's voice rang out clearly.

"Ironhide, I believe those are not supposed to be onlined unless you are attacked first, as written in the Decepticon-Autobot Treaty," Prime said chidingly. Ironhide scowled at the leader.

"I can online my cannons anytime I want to!" he snapped.

"Not when they are pointed at another bot." With that said, Optimus turned to calm white bot standing beside the ex-weapons specialist. "Greetings. I suppose you are the bot designated Drift?" The bot nodded.

"Yes, Optimus Prime. I need to speak with you, and I don't have much time to do it."

"Of course. Ironhide, if you would show _my_ guest into my office?" Optimus ordered. Ironhide snorted irritably as he punched in the keycode. He stepped aside when the door hissed open, allowing the two bots access. "Thank you, Ironhide," Optimus added, a clear dismissal.

"If he attacks you, I'll slag him, then I'll slag you for kickin' me out," Ironhide retorted. Optimus roled his optics before seating himself behind his desk. Drift waited until Ironhide had left and shut the door to sit down in the chair in front of the desk.

"Now, what do you need?" Optimus opened. Drift stared Optimus right in the optics and cut straight to the point.

"Where's Moonstrike?" Optimus shuttered his optics in surprise, then they narrowed suspiciously.

"Who are you and why are you looking for her?" To answer the Prime's questions, Drift turned his shoulders to the left, so that Wrecker insignia on his right shoulder was easily seen.

"My name is Drift. I am a Wrecker, and I _was_ an Autobot when the war was still in its rougher stages."

"What do you mean, 'its rougher stages'?" Optimus broke in.

"Prime, that war is still being fought. Decepticons are just a bit more careful about it. Now think very hard Prime about which bodies were found after the Treaty was signed. Can you think of one that is missing?" Drift asked, leaning forward in his chair. His elbows were perched on his knees, and his helm rested on top of his fisted hands. "I'll give you a hint. One optic, logic-centered, a mech that loved taking bots apart to see how they worked."

"Shockwave," Optimus breathed. Drift's optics flashed angrily as he nodded.

"Yes. Shockwave somehow managed to evade our forces. However, he still left his mark. Four and a half vorns ago, the youngest Wrecker was captured by the enemy. She was a sniper who didn't pay attention when she needed to. Once the battle was over, the Wreckers tried to comm. her, but she did not answer. When they arrived at her sniping point, they found an abandoned sniping rifle and a trail of energon that abruptly stopped a few steps away. The Wreckers went into a frenzy trying to find her. Whole battalions of Decepticons suffered for her disappearance. Whole base were destroyed in their search for the Wreckers' femling. It was their nightmare come true.

"Their panic lasted for a vorn. At that point, the Wreckers gave up, believing that the femling must have been dead. However, her creators and grandcreators didn't give up their search. It paid off, too. Three vorns later, they received a tip that a mysterious abandoned Decepticon science base had been found. They assembled a team and investigated the base. In the main experimentation lab, they found her. She was disoriented. She couldn't remember where she was, how she got there, or why she had weld marks on her back. She was brought back to the Wrecker base and given medical care.

"Now, a half a vorn later, we just found out that she was taken by Shockwave. He apparently hacked into her processor and planted a slave virus. By what Perceptor told me on the way here, it wasn't supposed to activate until Shockwave manually online it. However, some sort of unexpected trauma onlined it. Now, Shockwave is still missing, and we are more than certain that he is after Moonstrike again. Which leads us back to my first question: Where is Moonstrike?"

Optimus couldn't find words. His processor was still reeling from the new knowledge that Moonstrike had been captured by Shockwave at some point. Shockwave, of all mechs! The submissive slave data that Ratchet had found… that had been caused by Shockwave? Why had he placed it there? Was that why he was searching for Moonstrike at the moment?

"Prime," Drift prodded, pulling the leader from his thoughts.

"She left. Soundwave is taking her somewhere. She wouldn't tell me before she left."

"I see. Then perhaps we can start helping in another way," Drift said, more to himself than to Optimus. However, Optimus nodded his helm, plans already flowing through his battle computer. The war was about to start again, and he couldn't fight it alone.

**::Prowl, I need your assistance. I fear war is upon us:: -Optimus Prime**

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><p>"Jazz, if that arm wraps around my waist one more time, so help me Primus, I <em>will<em> rip it off."

"Aw, c'mon, Moon. I'm jus' tryin' ta keep ya warm."

"Remove your arm from my person, or I will remove it from yours."

"Bu' Moon, I – ow! Wha' was tha' fo'?"

"Whispering in my audio receptor, you slaggin' creeper."

"Aw, Moon, don' fight ya feelin's fo' meh!"

"Jazz, all I feel right now is revulsion."

"Moon, swee'spark, tha' hurt mah spark!"

"Primus slaggit, Jazz! Get your servos off my audio receptors, you slaggin pervert!"

"Would you two quit it and shut up! Soundwave may not have to sleep, but _I do_."

"He started it!"

"And I'm finishing it! Mute it, or so help me Primus, I will disconnect both of your vocal processors! Primus, it's like dealing with _sparklings_, only the sparklings would be better behaved!"

"'Ey! I resent tha'!"

"You _represent_ that."

"Oh, you're one ta talk, Moon. Yo'r the one tha' tossed the blame mah way!"

"That's cause it _is_ your fault!"

"Order: silence."

"Yes, Soundwave."

"What? You listen to him, but you won't listen to me?"

"Sorry, Chem. Soundwave's scarier."

"What? I can be _very_ scary!"

"Chem, you hum while you work. What kind of scary mech _hums_ while he works?"

"… Touche."

"Order for silence: still standing. Soundwave's audio receptors: sensitive."

"Oh, sorry, Soundwave."

"Moonstrike's apology: accepted."

"Primus, 'ow d'ya manage ta ge' ev'n the creepers like 'Wavey ta like ya like this?"

"Blackmail on Autobot Jazz: available. Consequence of irritating Soundwave: secrets of Autobot Jazz shared."

"… I hate you."

"Sentiment: mutual."

"So… Recharge would be nice."

"Tension getting' too thick fo' ya, Moon?"

"For the love of primus, Jazz, stop murmuring in my audio receptor! It's weird!"

"I can't 'elp it! It's like they were _made_ to make sharin' secrets mo'e fun and easy!"

"_What_ is your _malfunction_!"

"Yo'r beauty. You've twisted mah processor ta where I can't think straigh'!"

"Soundwave's assistance: available. Working on processors: Soundwave's forte."

"Slag tha'! You ain' getting' nowhere _near_ mah processor!"

"Double negative: grammatically incorrect."

"Would you stop correctin' mah grammuh! It ain' like I need it!"

"Proper speaking skills: signs of intelligence. Autobot Jazz's lack of proper grammar: proof of lack of intelligence."

"You fraggin' li'l –"

"You know, Jazz, if you shut your systems down, you wouldn't have to listen to Soundwave win your battle of wits and insults."

"Yo're right, Moon. Le's jus' shu' down."

"Slaggit, Jazz, stop hugging – No cuddling! I am not a recharge comfort doll!"

"Swee'spark, I jus' can't 'elp it. Ow! Wait, Moon, where you goin'?"

"To sleep by Soundwave! At least I know he won't fondle me in my sleep!"

"I would nevuh do tha' wi'out yo'r permission, Moonstrike. There's a fine line b'tween cuddlin' an' fondlin'."

"I really don't care, Jazz. You're making my lunar cycle awkward."

"Moonstrike: welcome to recharge while Soundwave keeps watch."

"Thanks, Soundwave."

"Thanks: not required. Soundwave: more than willing to help."

"See, Moon! 'E's pro'ly gonna be worse than me!"

"Autobot Jazz's claims: unlikely. Soundwave's motives: honorable."

"Slag you!"

"Shut up and shut down!"

"Yes, Chemical."

"Thank you, Moonstrike. That order applies to you, too, Lieutenant Jazz, or I _will_ send Prime this recording."

"Wai'! Wha' recording?"

"The one I'm just about to turn off, save, and triple code."

"Slaggit!"

**File saved: Jazz Blackmail. Code? Yes No**

**Yes. File coded. Encrypt with password? Yes No**

**Yes. File encrypted. Install protective firewall? Yes No**

**Yes. Firewall installed. File stored in hard drive.**

I giggled as I heard Jazz's angry and defeated huff of air. It had been decided that I would bunk with Jazz because we were both a lot smaller than Chem, who had almost twice my mass due to his hover technology. Soundwave had stated that he didn't need the recharge, so he seated himself on the floor against the wall facing the door. Jazz and I had moved onto the berth together, but Jazz, being the mech he was, had immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me back against his chassis, so that we were spooning. I promptly elbowed him in the stomach and scooted away from him, only to have him pull me close again. And then I started verbally protesting. I wasn't sure how long we had actually been fighting (well, I was fighting. Jazz was too busy trying to cuddle me close) before Chem had spoken up.

It had taken a few short arguments before I had finally decided that I wasn't going to recharge beside Jazz. So I elbowed him again and fled the berth while he was clutching his stomach. I moved easily to Soundwave's side and plopped down beside him. He had promptly lifted me up and set me in his lap. I snuggled into his wide chest, listening to his strong spark as the other three occupants finished their argument. I felt a slight pressure at the back of my left audio receptor. Pleasure filled me when he started rubbing the base of my audio receptor, and my mind seemed to melt beneath his gentle touch. It was like when a medic untangled the twisted and tensed wires and cables in my back and neck. It felt _sooo_ amazing. My body went limp, and a languid smile rose to my lip components.

"Is she…purring?" Chemical's voice rose above the silence, half-way bringing my mind back to the present. What do you know? Both my engine and my vocal processor were releasing a low purr, an outer sign of my inner contentment.

"Cybercat audio amplifiers: extremely sensitive. Sensitivity: why Moonstrike dislikes Autobot Jazz's advances."

"Oh. I didn' know tha'."

"Past actions: inconsequential. Soundwave's objective: lull Moonstrike into recharge."

I nuzzled my helm into his armor without really realizing it as I continued my purring. My optics offlined as I focused every system on the peaceful feeling Soundwave was causing. Before I knew it, my systems began to shut down, my body so relaxed that it saw no need to remain online. My purrs slowly died down, but I still felt that gentle caress at the base of my audio…what had Soundwave called them? Audio… amplifiers? Yeah… that sounded right. Audio amplifiers.

That was my last thought before my processor slowed into a state of recharge. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to stay there, because a breem later, all Pit broke loose.

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><p><strong>Autobot-Bre<strong>: Yep! Feelings are realized, Shockwave is definitely a prick, and I has updated. ^-^ Now I just gotta finish the next story I got planned. :)

**Supergirlprime:** Yeah, Shockwave's a creeper, but he has a reason in this sense! I swear! And…um…not really. I think this chapter may have cleared some of this up, but I'll go ahead and break the whole slave data thing down for ya real quick. The slave data was made so that she would have to obey the top commanders in the Decepticon army (Megatron, Screamer, Soundwave, and Shockwave) However, her time as a cybercat activated it. She saw Prime as her master because her new cybercat instincts joined together with the slave coding. This is all because Prime took care of her, so she saw him as someone to obey (to insure that her safety continued) So it wasn't just the slave coding. However, when Chem and Soundwave gave her the frame upgrade, they deleted the slave data. I hope that makes sense. ^^''

**AlexisOptimus:** yeah… definitely a lot going on. I was writing my outline for this chapter, and I had to pause to look closer at everything, and I just thought, 'Dear Primus… there are six different sections to this story. Optimus in his area, Chem, Moon, Jazz, and 'Wave on the shuttle, Arcee and Springer (though they aren't really a main part), the Wreckers in the housing community, Ratchet and Jolt (they'll be coming back in soon), Drift, and the 'Cons. Crazy.'

XD I always thought that if someone could knock some sense into Optimus (literally or metaphorically), it would be Ratchet the Hatchet. He's the best. :)

I kinda had fun writing Shockwave. He's creepy and weird, but not in the way I think most readers think he is. Remember, he's all logic. ;)

**Darth Krande:** XD I think that's good. I wasn't going for scary as much as creepy. I don't wanna put in graphic torture scenes because then I'd have to change the rating, and my goal is to never have a story that is rated above T. Personally, I don't like reading M fics, because you never really know how descriptive the writer will be. When a fic is rated T, you can at least be sure that everything will be written modestly. So as I see it, a reader is more comfortable reading a T fic than an M fic. Thus, I go for creepy instead of scary. ;) I have no idea if that explanation had anything to do with the review… Glad you like his characterization. My current challenge is writing bad guys. . I suck at that. Too hard to get into their heads… -.-

**Ninja Star Light:** Disturbing was what I was going for, so that definitely works. :) Disturbing and creepy. :D

**Iceshadow911247:** XD Yep! Yesterday I saw a Bumblebee Camaro. It was the exact same colors with the Autobot insignia just behind the front fender, and the lisence plate was BmbleB. *Insert fangirl squeal* Then a really hot blond haired guy got in and drove away. ^o^

O.O Sentinel is _not_ an Autobot! The slagger killed Ironhide! In the back! I'm not so sure the guy even deserves to be called a Decepticon! o

**Lynnie-Lou:** Dude… I didn't piss you off, did I? O.o If you send assassins after me, I _will_ fight back. Killer Attack Hound is looking for fresh blood. O.O fresh assassin blood. Go ahead. Send your Decepticon assassin creepers after me. I will fight back. With the help of Sideswipe. Who _will_ be president someday. XD BTW: Keep Alice away from my humans. They're not allowed to talk to mechanical creatures with tails. She's getting them in trouble, and Sam doesn't like being in the brig. Mikaela's rather upset with him, too. Therefore, remove your femme Pretender, or I will strike back with the Bumber-Car twins. Compute?

(SS) Sideswipe for president!

**Koinu-sama:** That's what I got planned. I'm surprised so few readers have figured that out. But yes, your first PM is correct ;)

**Kellie Witwicky:** I PMed you, but I wanted to say "hi" anyways, so… HI! XD

**Vivian Hale: **:) Yep. Chem can't help it, either. He's just so… cute! And when I was first planning his character, I was sketching out this hardcore, mech-wrecking torture specialist. Then I wrote his introduction, and you know how sometimes when you're writing the words come without you thinking and just transfer from your head to your computer without actually thinking? That's what happened. I wrote out that he was humming, and I stopped, reread it, and thought, 'Humming? My hardcore torturer is…_humming_…? It's perfect! I'll make him a sweetspark instead, then use him to mess with my readers!' ;) then, he was just… perfect and cute. ^-^

And yes, Ratchet saved the day. I figured that after 21 chapter, Prime was ready to discover his feelings. Now he can use the rest of this arc to figure out how to tell Moonstrike and get her to bond with him. So he's finally started the race, but poor mech's a long way from the finish.

Ya know, my username actually has a very interesting story behind it. Here, I shall tell it. :)

STORY TIME WITH LUNAR MIST!

I really didn't feel like dealing with this. I was seated in the backseat of my best friend, Lynn's, car. Lynn's step-brother, Patrick, was seated on one side of me, and Lynn was seated on the other. My little sister, Sarah, was seated on my lap, while my brother, Benjamin, was in the front seat, the lucky slagger. I grimaced as Patrick chatted on about Yugioh and Dragonball Z, while Lynn was going on about the latest gossip in school. Sarah was keeping up a steady stream of chatter about the Barbie movie she had just watched before getting in the car. I fought back a groan at the deluge of noise pointed at me. Did these people not realize that I could only listen to one person at a time? They did realize that I only had two ears and one mouth, right?

"Jenn, are you listening to me?" Lynn asked. Apparently, she had asked for myopinion on something. I stared at Lynn for a second before letting out an intelligent, "Huh?"

"I said, 'Do you think Katrina will make the squad?'" Lynn repeated with an irritated sigh.

"I have no idea. She has no sharpness, but her jumps are high. She's flexible. She'll make a good flyer." Lynn nodded at my reply.

"I think Britney has a good chance, which I hate," Lynn added thoughtfully. I shrugged. If both Lynn and Britney got on the squad, I would personally resign. Lynn and Britney hated each other, but they were both friends with me. It gave them something to fight over, sad as it was.

"Hey, Jenn, will you be my cheerleader if you make the squad?" Patrick asked with what thought was a charming grin. I fought back a scowl at Lynn's irritating step-brother.

"When I make the squad and if you make the football team, then maybe," I replied with a teasing grin. Patrick grinned back at me, either missing my hidden insult or ignoring it.

"I'll make the team, and I'll play _just_ for you," Patrick promised. I forced my grin to remain on my face as I turned back to Lynn. However, Patrick wasn't done talking to me. "And when we graduate, we'll go to college together and get married." A choked whine escaped my throat as I gave Lynn a desperate look. She gave me a look that was somewhere between apologetic and sympathetic.

"You know, Jennifer," Lynn said boldly, "leading psychologists say that people who are nice to nerds with no friends usually gain a stalker for life." I didn't even try to hide the whine this time.

"That would suck," Patrick said thoughtfully. "And Jennifer's nice to everyone." So it was true. Compassion _could_ be a bad thing. Maybe I should inform Optimus about that… Who am I kidding? HE probably ended up with his own fair share of life-long stalkers… I sighed as Patrick went on to explain why he thought hot girls should be forced to go on a date with at least every male nerd in their school. I gave Lynn a threatening look.

'_Help me,'_ I mouthed angrily. Lynn nodded and put that brain into motion.

"If you were a tree, you would be an oak!" she shouted suddenly. It had the desired effect. Patrick shut up, and Sarah gave Lynn a confused look.

"…_What_?" I asked with confusion. Lynn grinned.

"Let's play a game. Every person will go around and say what everyone would be if compared to something. The person to your left will say what your topic has to be. Sarah, why don't you go first? Your topic is weather." Sarah was silent for a few seconds before she hesitantly looked over at Patrick.

"You're a… rainstorm," she told him hesitantly, not really sure how she was supposed to answer. "Jenny's a… hurricane." I grinned, trying to alleviate her stress.

"Ha! I'm a hurricane, and you're stuck as a weak rainstorm!" I cheered as I looked at Patrick. Sarah, convinced by my attitude that she hadn't done anything wrong, looked over at Lynn.

"You're a tornado!"

"I do believe I beat both of you two out," the girl said triumphantly. "And it's my turn!"

"Cars," I said, giving Lynn her topic. Lynn peered at me with an amused grin.

"You, Jenny Em, are a Lamborghini without brakes and a gas pedal that sticks!" I stared at her for a few seconds.

"So… I'm Sideswipe?"

"Pretty much. Patrick's a Slugbug. Sarah is a one of those fuel-efficient hybrids that everybody loves. Your turn."

"Mythical creatures," Patrick said. I nodded slowly and looked over at Lynn.

"You're a vampire. One of the ones that have lived forever and has a freakishly high IQ. Sarah is a pixie. She has lots of pretty dresses and pretty wings." Sarah squealed happily. She was still getting through the "fairies and princesses" phase. "Patrick would be the toad."

"So I turn into a prince?" he asked hopefully. I shrugged.

"Sure," I replied flippantly. "Your turn, Patrick."

"Fairy names!" Sarah cheered. Patrick grimaced, looking at me.

"Your fairy name would be…" I waited for him to continue. He didn't. He just stared at me as if I were a hungry tiger about to kill him slowly and painfully. Lynn, however, didn't have the patience for that.

"Lunar Mist!" she announced. Everyone looked over at her. "Well, think about it. It's a really pretty name and actually fits her. She loves astronomy, and Patrick always says her hair looks like rays of moonlight. She hates the rain, but thinks mist can makes anything pretty. Hence, Lunar Mist."

"Uh-huh," I said slowly. "Since Patrick can't think of anything else, I propose we move on to Sarah." Thus the ride to cheer tryouts and football practice continued. 926 words. I find it funny that this reply probably took up a fourth of the words count XD

**XLizardXQueenX:** I'm glad everyone seemed to like my Shockwave. :) He's a creeper, and he's good at it. It gets worse as he gets more obsessive.

It was a little bit of both. See, Optimus didn't think it was possible for a mech's spark to accept another femme after its other half offlined the first time. It was just that he couldn't recognize it because he hadn't ever experienced love after the death of Elita. However, he was worried it _was_ love because he didn't want to betray her memory if it was just the bond node acting up and making him think her was in love. Catch my drift?

I considered that, but then I thought about how Prime would react to the knowledge that he gains from Drift. He knows Soundwave will keep Moonstrike safe, and even if he wasn't sure, he doesn't know that Jazz is with Moonstrike and when Jazz sent the comm., Jazz didn't know the femme was Moonstrike. Now, Prime doesn't think to call Jazz because he doesn't know what Jazz is up to, and Jazz doesn't wanna break radio silence.

That's my goal in writing, actually. It's actually a type of writing tool. You know how, sometimes, you'll read a story on , and though the writer sucks at writing, the plot is so amazing that you have to keep reading it to find out how it ends? That's the writing technique I use. Keep the readers guessing and they'll keep coming back for more. Plus, I just love it when readers say, "I did not see that coming." One of the main reasons I haven't quit this site to fully focus on my novel is because, let's be honest, that would be extremely cruel to all you readers. That, and writing Transformers is just too much fun. Being able to throw in some plot twists and throw all y'all for a loop is just an added bonus. So, for a writer who is striving for what you said in your PM, yes, I understand completely what you meant, and by saying that, you informed me that I am succeeding and have done my job very well. Darlin', you jus' gave me one of the biggest compliments yet. :) Thanks =D

And I am PRAYING Sides and Proxy hook up! They could raise all those sparklings together! I love howshe writes One! The doppelganger is SO creepy! XD

**Angel897:** Hope you liked it. :)

**Jinxed just in Time:** Yeah… Dun worry. Everyone after Lynnie-Lou had to review via PM. XD Tell your fellow author that yes, I am starting a few new stories soon. I have two waiting in the wings with three chapters written on each and one that I am just starting. The pairings in them are kinda vague, cuz I'm still deciding mostly. I have a story made of 4 one-shots I'm trying to finish right now based off a lesson in one of my classes. I plan to have that out sometime this upcoming week. Sadly, though, I will have no more new stories out until after March 3. Next month, my life will be getting very busy, and I won't even be able to sit down to type. If I get the chance, I will try to keep up with my current stories, but otherwise… I don't wanna start something new just to let it sit for so long. Ya know what I mean? Glad you liked the chapter. :)

**Cairistona:** Hi. You've been reviewing all the chapters, and I know you'll catch up to this one soon. :) Thank you for your reviews. I love the super longness of them, and how you reviewed every chapter as you read it. So here's just that random greeting because I finished these review replied and wanted to say "hi" as you passed this chapter. =D

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><p>Once again, Please, nobody killed me because of the cliffhanger.<p> 


	24. Retreat

1) First and foremost is a personal request. i found out that my sister has been going through and reading the reviews y'all leave. Because of this, I request that no bad language is used in your reviews. If my sister was to say one of those words out loud and my mother found out that she found the word on this site, it's very likely that this story would never get finished, if y'all catch my drift. So no curse words, pretty please. :) Thanks, guys!

2) The poll is closed and the results are in! Here are the results:

Sunstreaker: 26

Jazz: 26

Bluestreak: 12

Megatron: 6

(Poor Megsy) So, my upcoming story will be a Sunstreaker/OC/Jazz fic, and it is already being written. :)

3) So, i am more than aware that cat's travel alone, but because of a Cybertronian's pack mentality, Moonstrike views her close friends and family as part of her "pack". I realize that "pack" is a canine term; however, the alternative was a "clutter", and I couldn't take Soundwave and Jazz serious if i wrote that they were part of Moonstrike's "clutter". XD

4) Yes, it's kinda short, but next wekk's is going to be extremely long. =D

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><p>Chapter 24<p>

Retreat

2,252 words

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><p>No matter how many battles I participated in, there was always an array of negative emotions that rushed through me when the first gun went off. True, battle itself didn't scare me. I was a Wrecker, after all. I had no problem tearing apart an enemy that threatened me. However, I hated not knowing if my fellow warriors would make it through the battle.<p>

So when the explosion sounded through the shuttle, it didn't surprise me that the first thing that shot into my spark was fear. My systems booted up unnaturally from the heavy recharge cycle, cutting my recharge protocols off and leaving my body feeling sluggish. My optics onlined when I felt Soundwave standing up, his arms wrapping around me as he stood.

"Decepticons: here. Offensive maneuvers: essential," Soundwave stated as he placed me on my feet. His massive hand took mine as he led me to where Jazz and Chem were gathered by the door.

"Yeah. I think they came in near the cockpit," Chem said quickly.

"So we need ta ge' movin'. We need ta head t'wards the back a' the shuttle," Jazz suggested with a nod.

"Affirmative. Ravage: return," Soundwave said as he released my hand and turned to the mech at my feet. Ravage leapt toward his master and transformed midair before sliding into Soundwave's chassis. "Objective: reach escape pod."

"Wait! What about everyone else on board!" I exclaimed. We couldn't leave these people here to die.

"The only other people on board are the pilots, and I'm fairly certain they are already dead," Chemical told me seriously as he grabbed the hand Soundwave had released.

"Chem, we just started over the Sea of Light. If this thing crashes, we're _going_ to_ die_," I informed my best friend evenly. I saw Chem's grimace and knew he was thinking the same thing I was: that's a fraggin' long way to the ground. The Sea of Light was a massive metal canyon that bordered Iacon, Praxus, and Protihex. Nobot really knew how far down the canyon was or what produced the bright light from its depths. Some said that it was an entrance to Primus's spark. Some said it was an extra hot smelting pool. Some said it was a massive amount of energon in its most raw form: crystal. Nobot knew, because if anybot went down there, they never came back.

"I know, Moon, but the only other option is to hand you over and let the Cons kill us three. I'll take falling into Primus's spark over becoming Shockwave's experiment as punishment for betrayal," Chemical replied grimly. I nodded. I couldn't fault him there.

"So we run?" I asked with a smile.

"We run," Chem agreed. The door _wooshed_ open, and Jazz dashed out the door. Chem ran out after him, easily pulling me along, and Soundwave took up the rear of our impromptu formation. My processor whirred noisily, trying to take in my surroundings while trying to override my recharge protocols at the same time. I grimaced when my battle computer came online to help with the job. The computer immediately sent new orders to my processor, and my processor started working through the demands.

**Speed up energon pump to increase energon flow: check.**

**Activate recharge override protocols and overlay online protocols: check.**

**Activate weapons subspace: check.**

Just like that, my point of view was easier to understand. My optics dimmed in a natural attempt to hide myself from attackers. My footsteps lost the sound they had been causing only kliks before, and my speed slowly increased until I was beginning to drag Chemical behind me. My amplifiers rose to attention and moved around to pinpoint any noise. The spikes on my tail rose up to the surface, and my claws unsheathed themselves as my instincts waited on high alert for an attacker.

"Chemical, cybercat upgrades: successful," Soundwave mused from the back of the procession, ever the scientist.

"Yes, Soundwave, I can see that rather well on my own," Chemical remarked. I ignored them, though, as I yanked my hand from Chemical's. I dashed ahead of Jazz, dropping onto all fours to help with my speed. The mech didn't even have a chance to yell for help as he moved into the intersection of the hall I was walking in and the hall leading to the escape pods. The red-opticed mech gave a gurgled moan when my claws slashed into his throat, destroying his vocal processor and the primary energon line to his processor. My tail caught his body as he was about to collapse and gently lowered him to the ground as my pack caught up to me.

"Sweet Primus!" Jazz exclaimed as they stopped before the intersection.

"Wow, Soundwave… I believe we were _very_ successful," Chem murmured.

"Affirmative," Soundwave agreed. Once again, I ignored their statements.

"More are on their way. I would suggest moving to the escape pods," I stated. My audio receptors picked up the sound of coming footsteps, and I knew we were running out of time. Jazz nodded as he dashed off toward the pods. Chemical hesitated only a klik before following him. Once Soundwave was moving, I turned and moved after them. I could already hear the sound of Jazz powering up one of the escape pods, and I could smell the liquid fuel flowing through the engine as it hummed to life. I moved into the pod and grimaced. It looked rather worse for wear, but I couldn't complain. The door hissed shut behind me, and Chem pulled me toward one of the five seats that lined the wall. Jazz occupied the pilot's seat while Soundwave occupied the navigator's seat.

"Okay, 'bots an' mah swee'spark, hol' onta ya helms!" Jazz ordered, then the pod shot away from the shuttle. Chemical and I let out identical sounds of protest when we were thrown back into our seats violently.

"Jazz! Primus, what the slag kind of separation was _that_?" Chem snapped irritably.

"Do it wi' style, or don' do it at all!" Jazz chirped.

"That had nothing to _do_ with style! Primus, didn't your piloting instructor ever tell you about the plasma grenade between your pede and the pedal, about how to gently separate from a mothership?" Chem snapped.

"I didn' 'ave an instructuh. I learned on mah own," jazz announced proudly.

"No wonder you drive like an overcharged youngling!"

"'Ey now. Tha's unnecessary," Jazz retorted.

"Chem's statement: true. Necessity of statement: irrelevant."

"Thank you, Soundwave."

"Don' thank 'im! We didn' ev'n ask fo' 'is opinion!" Jazz snapped.

"Opinion: given freely. Your permission: not required."

"Slag you!"

"We are being followed." My statement quieted all arguments, and Jazz swore colorfully when plasma fire rained down on our pod.

"Slaggit! They're flyers!" Jazz said in angry realization.

"Seekers?" Chemical asked as he approached the screen that connected to the camera on the rear of the ship.

"A few. I see Blackout," Jazz replied.

"There's no way this pod can outfly Seekers," Chemical warned.

"Yeah, I figured that much out on my own," Jazz snapped. He glanced around the pilot's panel, praying to find a section for weapons. No luck. "No weapons on this pod," Jazz informed the other inhabitants.

"Then we have no choice. We need to get off this ship and get rid of those Cons, and we need to do this pretty soon."

"I'm working on it, Chemical," Jazz snapped, stress making him even more irritable.

"Plan: abandon ship, then set to self-destruct. Moonstrike: objective: carry Autobot Jazz over Sea of Light. Chemical: objective: carry Soundwave over Sea of Light."

There was a beat of silence.

"That's a long way to the other side, Soundwave," Chemical stated.

"Fact: previously known. Alternative to plan: get captured and hope for best."

"Yeah, I think Imma go with the first option," Jazz stated. Chemical sighed heavily.

"Well, let me set up the self-destruct," he said gloomily. Jazz stepped back and let Chemical take his place. I looked back at Jazz as he moved over to my side.

"Can you hold me for that long?" he asked with concern. I smiled gently.

"Yes, Jazz. I'm sure I'll be fine," I promised him, ignoring the negative results my battle computer was telling me would be caused by this next plan. Jazz didn't look convinced, but he still nodded.

"We're ready. I'm turning the ship around," Chemical stated. I nodded as I moved behind Jazz, who was easily seven feet shorter than me. I planted my feet when Chemical threw the steering wheel in a tight circle, causing the pod to turn one-eighty degrees tightly. The Decepticons appeared to be rather confused by this action, but they continued firing at us, nonetheless. I watched as Chemical moved behind Soundwave, who had moved to stand behind me and Jazz, and I fought back a giggle when Chem awkwardly wrapped his arms around the much taller bot's chassis from behind. I turned back to face the exit and wrapped my own arms around Jazz.

"Tha's righ', swee'spark. Hold meh close," Jazz said cheerfully.

"Jazz, it would be unfortunate if my arms slipped during the explosion," I threatened.

"Yeah, tha' would suck," jazz replied easily, ignoring the threat.

"Go now!" Chemical ordered. Without hesitation, I opened the pod's back door and leapt out. I heard Chem and Soundwave jump out after me, and not an astrosecond later, the pod exploded. I freefell for a few kliks, trying to keep the Cons from hearing the sound of my engine activating, before I activated my flight protocols. The rotor blades on my back rose to a horizontal position. I felt the rotor engine whirr to life, and the rotor blades started spinning with its assistance. I tightened my hold on Jazz before I started forward at a quick pace. I heard Chemical's hover system to my left and knew they had made it out okay. We never looked back. We didn't have to to know that the Decepticons had turned around and retreated, believing us to be offline.

"That worked out splendidly," Chemical chirped.

"Plan's creator: Soundwave. Therefore, plan: foolproof," Soundwave announced, his monotone voice not showing his internal pride.

"Once we get ta the othuh side a' the sea, I'll admi' the plan's success," Jazz replied. I glanced down at his and saw that his worried optics were locked with mine.

"I will be fine," I reiterated.

"We'll see how ya are in a few breems, swee'spark. I think yo'll be sing'n a diff'ren' tune." I rolled my optics and turned my focus back to the task at hand. With any luck, I'd be able to prove him wrong. After all, I was a Wrecker, and Wreckers don't fail at _anything_.

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><p>Optimus felt a sense of déjà vu as he filled his newly reinstated Second in Command in on the current situation. Drift was standing near the door, scowling at Ironhide, who had taken up his post standing behind Optimus, who was at his desk. Prowl was standing before his Commander, receiving information with an indecipherable expression. Optimus knew without a shadow of a doubt that Prowl was already feeding the received information into his extremely advanced battle computer.<p>

"And now, we must prepare for their return. I am uncertain of Shockwave's plan, but I know that it will somehow include Moonstrike." Silence filled the room when Optimus finished his explanation. Everybot was waiting for Prowl's next statement, but the tactician was still sorting through scenarios. Optimus waited impatiently. Why hadn't he questioned Jazz more when the bot had told him that he was leaving with a femme, Soundwave, and a mech designated Chemical? What if she was hurt? What if she was stranded? His spark stuttered lightly when another possible scenario flitted through his processor.

No. _Moonstrike wasn't dead._ She wouldn't die. She couldn't die. No, he still had things to tell her. He still had to declare his love for her. No, she wasn't dead.

"It seems to me that it would be best right now to simply gather our resources. Inform the other diplomatic leaders about what is going on. Bring together the elite Autobots. We should try to keep this war under control, especially with the social unrest," Prowl stated. "When Moonstrike returns, we will have to keep her close by."

"Very well. I will begin recalling our forces. I will inform Mirage, Thundercracker, and Ultra Magnus of our problems. Once Moonstrike has returned, we will house her in the Iaconian Autobot stronghold. We have held off Shockwave before, we will do it again."

"Well, since that's all fixed up, I'm gonna head back to the Community. Kup will want to know about this firsthand. Besides, Arcee and Springer deserve to know what's happening to their creation," Drift said. Optimus nodded to the white mech.

"Very well. Til all are one," Optimus said in fare-well. Drift rolled his optics with a scoff.

"Wreck and rule, mech," he replied. Ironhide's engine revved angrily at the flippant way the mech acted toward their motto. Drift ignored him, though, as he left through the door without so much as a backward glance. Optimus frowned after him for a few kliks before shaking his helm and rising to his feet.

"I will get on this. Ironhide, I need you to visit Ratchet. I'll need his connections in the medical community," Optimus ordered. Ironhide nodded and immediately left the room. "Come, Prowl. We have work to do."

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><p><strong>Vivian Hale:<strong> Cool! It's fun to hear the meaning behind people's usernames here, because they always have a specific reasons. :D I've always loved the name Vivian. I thought it sounded distinguished. O.O Thank ya for the long review! :)

**Rapidfeather:** XD Yeah, going through this, I found that she has, like, four father figures: Springer (her real dad), Chem, Soundwave, and Shockwave (even if he's not a very good dad). XD Nice randomness there.

**Jinxed just in Time:** I enjoyed writing Soundwave here. I've always seen him as a paternal figure that can be bad to the bone-er, strut-. You can let your friend know that I plan on coming out with a fic that consists of four one-shots. They will come out on February 11, 12, 13, and 14 for Valentine's Day.

**Bee-roxs98:** Yeah, apparently the cliifhanger wasn't as bad I worried it was. Nobody really cared too much, so it's all good. As for the reviewing, don't worry about it. :) I know you keep up with the story, and I know you really like it, so skipping a review or two really isn't too much of a problem. I do request that you don't use the "f word" in a review, though, as my little sister is known to come back and read the reviews on my stories. :)

Thank you for your compliments, and yes, Shockwave is definitely in for it once Prime gets his servos on him. *insert evil smile* especially since the evil mech's gonna end up digging his proverbial grave even deeper fairly soon.

**LNMHYLIAN**: May I ask what your username means? I am incredibly curious (yes, I know that curiosity ended up killing the cat, but the cat couldn't help herself) I think I've asked three people during this story what their username meant… - Just curious. :)

First off, (well, technically, it'd be second because I already said something, but who cares about technicalities?) let me thank you for taking the time to review my fic and give me the feedback that us writers crave. ;) I thank you so much for the compliments. I'm a logical thinker, and I'm sure to have a reason for everything. It's something that tends to come up in all of my fics. Not only does it insure that the Mary-sue monster doesn't attack, but it makes it impossible to copy without my seeing the plagiarism. Besides, as I said, I'm a logical thinker. Everything needs a reason :)

XD Everyone loves Jazz's accent. XD You know, I started using him in stories because I was teaching myself how to write accents? The first story I ever used him in was _A Little Burst of Sunlight_, and the sole reason I chose him was to teach myself how to write accents. Soundwave… I dunno how I figured out his accent. I just… did…

:) I plan for it to be more than 60 chapters. We ain't even half-way through yet. Hope you'll stick around for the long drive through. =D

You're very welcome. I aim to please. ^-^

And to answer your question: Starscream is still dead. He died in Chicago during the last movie. I can understand why you are confused, though. I used my super power of being a writer to save a bucket-load of Cybertronian lives from the terrible murders Michael Bay inflicted upon them. Starscream, Megatron, and almost every other Decepticon that died in Chicago still died, but Shockwave brought a lot of them back. As you can guess, though, Shockwave never brought Screamer back (1) because he hated the jet and (2) because the last thing Shocky needed was for Starscream to try to take over and ruin Shocky's diabolical plans. As for Skywarp, he is still very much alive, and he will be making his grand appearance next chapter, actually. I can't wait to try his personality out! :D

Once again, thank you for the review!

**Diamond White:** XD I had so much fun writing that out. I giggle every time I reread it. Sadly, though, it had nothing to do with Jazz's plan. He just has fun messing with Moonstrike. Prime will fritz, though, if he finds out. XD

**Badgerwolf:** Thank you for taking the time to review! :) Yeah, that's what everyone's been telling me. That's actually a good thing. I don't like forcing my readers to wait anxiously for the next update to find out if someone lived or died. Thank you for your compliments. I giggle every time I reread that section. I'm rather proud of it. ^-^

**Darth Krande:** XD Indeed. Jazz is just too cute XD Scenes like this make me wish it was a Jazz/OC. I could have so much fun writing Moonstrike and Jazz in a relationship. -.- It would be so perfect. However, I working with Prime's personality right now, so I have to wait.

**Angel897:** :D Thank you for the review! Glad you liked it.

**Luna Prime-Awesomness:** Glad you liked it! And yes, the Cons attacked during her impromptu audio amplifier massage… Sad day. -.-

**Erin Primette:** Indeed. -

**Iceshadow911247:** Ooh! I love moving things into knew houses. Always feels like an adventure. XD Sadly, I don't know if Optimus will ever see that tape. Right now, Chem's just gonna keep a close hold on it. And I think everyone is more afraid of Sarah than anyone else. Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned.

**Kellie Witwicky:** XD Yep. Soundwave learned all his cybercat knowledge from experience, so everything he does to calm her? He learned that from his experiences with his oldest cassette.

**Littledhampir13:** Oh, I know Soundwave isn't a creeper. Shockwave is, though. True, true. I hate putting in cliffhangers, though. I don't want my readers to have to be super anxious about the next update, ya know? Sorry about your stories, though. :( I had that problem a few years ago.

**oOo KitKat oOo:** Thanks! Your review made me smile. =) -Just like that. Only not sideways (is it bad that I almost wrote Sideswipe there?)

**Supergirlprime:** I fell in love with Soundwave my first fanfic. One just can't help it. When he's a Decepticon, he's dark, silent, and mysterious. When he's a good guy, he's dark, silently caring, and mysterious. One just can't help it. And don't worry. Prime doesn't know she's crushing on him, but he's certainly gonna make his own emotions known once she finally gets back. :)

**A wiccan:** Oh! Come out of that corner! There might be corner spiders there, and they're the creepiest spiders alive! They just sit there and stare at you! 0.o

**Jmqe:** Yeah. But, Faecat did a marvelous job at building One's character. Glad you liked the Jazz moment XD

**Leonixon**: LOL. Yeah, hi! Welcome back ;) We haven't chatted in forever. OoO I bet Cierra misses Dreadwing, doesn't she? And Sunny. Who _wouldn't _miss my little Sunburst? XD Sunny misses Sierra and told me to tell you to say, "Hi, Cia-wuh!" Dreadwing just grunted, but I'm sure he meant, "Hey, Cierra! Glad I got to spend personal time with you while you were dying!"

Dreadwing: Human! What are you telling that other human to tell her other human!

See? He just speaks such strange nonsense sometimes. Silly mech. *eye roll*

=D I think I know how to piss off all my readers now: I will kill Chemical. I think everyone would take that worse than if I killed Moonstrike. XD Glad ya like him, though.

LOL. Soundwave has definitely become an important, loveable character in this. Just wait until the next major event occurs. It will be marvelous.

I'm still working with Drift's personality. I think Imma take him out of this, because I'm focusing on Prime's personality in this fic's lesson, and I don't have the ability to try to figure out Drift while trying to figure out Prime at the same time.

I loved the Jazz/Moonstrike bickering scene. It made me want to make this story a Jazz/OC/Prime. But I didn't. :D Jazz will have his own romance fairly soon.

**Sieluvstf: **Thank you for the review. Glad you enjoy the story. :)

**Autobot-Bre:** Thanks for the review. XD

**WingedandWacky:** Thank you for the review. Eh-heh. It's, um, Moon_strike_ actually, but hey, easy mistake ;) Moon is sky blue.

**Ninja Star light:** Thnks for the review, and thank you for the compliment. :)

**Koinu-sama:** Thank you for your review. Here's your update. :) And this story has had that effect on everybody, it seems. Megatron will very likely have a random flow of humans demanding to join his cause soon because they are in love with Soundwave, Chemical, Thundercracker, or some other Decepticon I've somehow tamed. XD Then he'll come to visit me, and I'll be like, "I can't join, Megatron. I support Sideswipe!" maybe he'll thank me for the new recruits… *Thoughtful look*

**TheHellIKnow:** Glad you liked it! The Soundwave/Moonstrike fluff was a little unneeded, but I had too much fun writing it to leave it out. ;) My charger died while I was writing chapter 22, so I know how you feel. I was a whole week without my computer. Thanks again!

**Lynnie-Lou:** Honey, I could take down your assassins without breaking a sweat. It's just… they aren't well trained, and I am. I _will _go cheerleader on them if I must. And if I begin to get overwhelmed, I'll call in backup, in the form of Skids and Mudflap. I will succeed!

**SIDESWIPE WILL BE PRESIDENT! DO NOT FIGHT AGAINST SOMETHING YOU CANNOT DEFEAT! MEGATRON WILL BE DEFEATED AND SIDESWIPE WILL BE PRESIDENT! **

Now, where were we? Oh! Don't insult my humans! And do _not_ blame Sam for something he cannot control! Optimus trained him to be polite, meaning if somebot talks to him, he replies!

So are you just gonna hate him for the rest of forever? Holding a grudge like that isn't attractive, sweetie. And I hate that you two are like this. C'mon, Lynn, I know for a FACT that he's tried to call you. See, Dylan's trying to talk to you for my sake. However, since you don't answer that slaggin' phone he's having trouble getting ahold of you. Try swallowing that large amount of pride and talking to him. Geez, I feel like Dr. Phil. - Wow. You're actually coming back to Texas? To our little town on the middle of No and Where? Go figure.

Oh, and my sarcasm is a quarter of my appeal. ;D The other three is my appearance, my humor, and my inability to shut up. XD Skids tells me I'm pretty all the time, and he would know! He sees femmes all the time, and he told me that femmes date him all the time, so he's a good judge. *nod nod*

Oh, and you did leave for a reason: you were running away. :( I'm rather miffed about that. You're stronger than that, darlin'. And… please don't tell him… ^^'' He'd probably come here and demand to know why I'm talking to you, but I haven't spent the time to call him back… .

You are a cruel person, Lynn. Cruel, cruel, cruel. I'm telling Sunstreaker on you. *nod nod* Sleep with one eye open.

(SS) Sideswipe for president!


	25. Exhaustion, Worry, and Possessiveness

1)For starters, let me apologize for the late update. I had cheer practice yesterday from 7-9 am, and I was tired with a headache all day. Plus, cheerleading really, really pissed me off. I think Megatron would make a better coach sometimes. -.- Water under the bridge, though. Back on topic, I didn't want to write yesterday because my anger combined with my physical exhaustion... well, i was worried one of the characters would suddenly die, and seeing as Moonstrike is kinda tired, I was worried it was gonna be her and Jazz, and I have a feeling all y'all would be kind of upset if I murdered Moonstrike. So, i chose to wait a day and let my ire pass. Now I'm just sore.

2) This is Sarah. I find it funny that when Jenn mentioned me, everyone started talking to me in the reviews XD Hilarious. i just had to say that. Jenn can have the computer back now.

3) Read a story called If I Die Young by Horsehugger626. It's amazing, and all y'all should go check it out. Another one is Solemnly Swear by Death'sInevitable Kiss. Another good one. Good check 'em out. :)

4) Sorry, guys. i lied twice! Skywarp didn't show up in this one because he will be showing up in the next one, and this one isn't the freakishly long chapter, the next chapter is. My bad. Sorry, guys. -.-

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><p>Chapter 25<p>

Exhaustion, worry, and angry possessiveness

3,450 words

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><p><strong>Energon reserves: 34%<strong>

**Weight limit: exceeded.**

**Shoulder joints: cracked. Seek external medical assistance. **

**Rotary blades: bent. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Rotary engine: overheating. **

**Energon reserves: 33%**

**Recharge eminent. Override? Yes No**

**Yes. Recharge protocols overridden.**

**Pain receptors coming online. Override? Yes No**

**Yes. Pain receptor online protocols overridden.**

**Suggested course of action: land and recharge.**

**Offline HUD? Yes No**

**Yes. HUD offling.**

I sighed with relief when my head-up display flicked off. We had been flying for more than two joors now, and my arms and shoulders were not taking the strain well. Neither were my rotary systems, for that matter. My body wasn't used to flying yet, and the Autobot in my arms was weighing me down, which meant that my rotary systems had to work harder to keep me up in the air. The pain had almost overcome me a joor ago, so I had offlined my pain receptors. I didn't have the time to deal with them. Sadly, though, even if my pain receptors didn't inform me of my injuries and exhaustion, my HUD was more than happy to. Red flashes and warnings popped up one after another, effectively confusing my already sleep deprived and muddled processor. So offlined the HUD.

"Moonstrike? You okay?" Jazz questioned. I nodded, though I wasn't really sure if he could see me. I would have spoken aloud to him, but I was unsure if I would be able to speak past the inevitable screams of pain and exhaustion.

"Destination: approaching. ETA: a half a breem," Soundwave announced loudly, obviously taking pity on me. I gave a weak smile as I looked up and saw the other side of the Sea of Light. Protihex. We were almost there! My mind gave a weak internal cheer, and I sped up a little unintentionally.

"Whoa, there, Moon. Take yo'r time, femme," Jazz advised. I shook my head 'no'. I wanted to touch the ground, and I wanted to touch it _now_. My rotary engine whined in protest as I forced it to speed up its rotations. I had to get to land. I had to. I was going to shut down if I didn't.

The half-breem seemed like a full vorn, and the second Jazz's pedes were over solid land, I dropped him from my grip. He landed with a solid thump.

"Ow, slaggit! Eva hear of bein' gentle?" Jazz snapped, rubbing his skidplate, where he had landed rather heavily. I ignored him though, as I floated forward a few more feet. My engine gave a whining shriek before completely shutting down. I dropped from the sky and landed heavily on my feet. My knees buckled underneath me, and I collapsed onto my left side.

"Hey, hey! Moon, stay wit' meh, swee'spark," Jazz ordered as he scrambled to my side.

**HUD onlining.**

**Energon reserves: 24%**

**Left shoulder joint: cracked. Seek external medical assistance. **

**Right shoulder joint: dislocated. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Rotary blades: bent. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Rotary engine: overheated. Seek external medical assistance. **

**Pain receptors coming online. **

Pain and warnings assaulted me without mercy. My vents and cooling systems worked furiously to cool down my overworked and recharge-deficient body. I panted heavily as I fought the urge to cry in pain. Wreckers don't cry.

"'S 'kay, swee'spark. Chem an' Soun'wave are almos' here," Jazz assured me as he ran a comforting hand up and down my back strut. I keen quietly in pain. This sucked! My head pounded painfully, and my optics offlined as I fought the urge to scream, substituting it for another high, pained whine. "I know, swee'spark. I know i' hurts," Jazz cooed to me. My processor whirred sluggishly, processing the sound of his voice.

And I realized that it wasn't Jazz's voice I needed to hear.

**::Optimus?:: -Moonstrike **

There was a pause, and I worried that my communication systems were down. I just needed to hear his voice. We didn't have to have a drawn out conversation. I just needed to hear him before my energon levels, pain levels, and exhaustion pulled me into an emergency stasis lock. Then I heard it.

**::Moonstrike? What's wrong? You sound like you're in pain:: -Optimus Prime**

My spark sang at the sound of the deep baritone as it filled my processor. My aches and fatigue faded to the back of my processor as I focused on that voice.

**::Just… a little… tired:: -Moonstrike**

**::You sound more than just a little tired. Moonstrike, where are you?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Protihex. We crossed… the Sea of Light:: -Moonstrike**

**::And just who is "we"?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Soundwave, Chemical, and Jazz:: -Moonstrike**

There was a beat of silence, and during that silence, I noticed that Soundwave now had me in his arms, bridal-style. Jazz and Chemical were beside us. Chemical was limping slightly from the pain radiating from his hover tech on his pedes, and his left hand reached behind his helm in an attempt to rub at the backpack-esque hover tech in between his shoulders. Flying for so long with dead weight had done no more good for him than it had me.

**::Jazz did not inform me **_**you**_** were the femme they were rescuing. Why are you in Protihex?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I… don't remember. I'm sorry:: -Moonstrike**

**::That is nothing to apologize for:: -Optimus Prime**

**::O…kay…I'm gonna offline now…:: -Moonstrike**

**::What? Moonstrike, stay with me! What's going on?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Bye, Optimus. I…have…to…:: -Moonstrike**

My processor gave a low whirr as my remaining thoughts scattered, and just as I sent the last message, my world grew dark.

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><p><strong>::Primus slaggit! What the slag did you do to my intended!:: -Optimus Prime<strong>

The message was in no way expected, and Jazz jumped at the strange combination of emotions that were laced into the surprise comm. message. Anger, worry, anxiety, fear. Things that Optimus had never openly shown. If the message tone was anything to judge by, Jazz was fairly certain the great Prime was close to glitching. Jazz ignored the strange looks he was getting from Chemical as he replied to the message.

**::Nothin'. When di' she b'come ya 'ntended?:: -Jazz**

**::Then why did she just say she was going offline?:: -Optimus Prime**

Jazz frowned at the way Prime ignored his teasing. Slag, he was pissed.

**::She jus' dropped inta recharge. We ran inta a… speed bump of sorts, an' Moon's a li'l tired:: -Jazz**

**::… So she is simply resting?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Yeah. We're takin' 'er to the Protihex Medic'l** **M'chanics Univers'ty t' get 'er checked ou':: -Jazz**

**::I see. And why are you four in Protihex to begin with?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Well… Chem'c'l gave us this long, drawn-ou' story. Short version? We're gonna find ol' Megsy's spark b'fo'e Shockwave does:: -Jazz**

The following silence made Jazz wince. The saboteur wished anxiously that Optimus would speak. He could imagine how many thoughts and emotions were flitting through the great Prime's processor. Worry for his intended, even if she didn't know she was his intended. Anger at Jazz for taking Moonstrike. Stress over the fact that his brother was apparently about to be brought back to life… again. Jazz couldn't fathom it. Finally, Prime spoke.

**::If she gets hurt, it is on your helm:: -Optimus Prime**

**::She won't get hurt, Prime. You have my word:: -Jazz**

**::And I will keep you to it. Skyfire will be retrieving you from Protihex in two joors, and you will be brought back to Iacon directly. Compute?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Yes, sir:: -Jazz**

**::Good. For now, I must get in contact with Chromia. She will be in charge of the new femme unit. If this war starts as I expect it to, we will need all the assistance we can get:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Yes, sir. Until all are one:: -Jazz**

**::Until all are one:: -Optimus Prime**

The line dropped, and Jazz became aware of his surroundings again. They were walking down a side street in the market, keeping close to the shadows as they approached the extremely large building that was located near the back of the half-way rebuilt city-state. The first thing Protihexan leaders rebuilt was the Protihex Medical Mechanics University. During the Golden Age of Cybertron, the university was the source of Protihex's income. Almost every bot that lived in protihex was either a student or a professor there. Of course, there were bots that sold energon and such, as there were in every city, but most of the Protihexan bots simply ferried over to Iacon to buy non-essential items, something that kept travelling merchants from even attempting to sell their wares.

"You sure we gonna be 'cepted here?" Jazz asked, gazing over at the offlined femme. As it was, the mechs and femmes that caught sight of them turned to their companions and started whispering and pointing. Chemical shrugged. Soundwave didn't feel Jazz's statement warranted a reply.

"They are a medical university, and the only source of medical assistance in this city-state. I sincerely hope they accept Moon," Chemical replied. "Only one way to find out."

The front door hissed open to reveal a bustling lobby. Pre-adult younglings moseyed to their next class, and medical interns shuffled around, directing newer students. Jazz glanced around the many signs and grinned when he found the one they needed.

"Medic'l cl'nic," he announced, pointing at the large sign above the hallway to the left of their position. Soundwave nodded in acknowledgement and moved in that direction. It didn't escape Jazz's notice that the students around them had ceased their movements and locked their optics on the four motley bots moving toward the clinical section of the university, one of those bots offline. He grimaced when he saw a group of femmes muttering, pointing, and sending judgmental glares their way. "I ain't likin' 'ow this is lookin'. I ain't got _this_ many glares since the war," Jazz said offhandedly as the door to the clinic hissed open.

"Assessment: accurate. Situation: grim," Soundwave agreed. The nurse at the front desk looked up at them with a smile that immediately turned into a frown.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot help you," she stated without preamble. Chem and Jazz frowned, and Soundwave scowled behind his facemask, already able to tell why due to the glare she was sending his way.

"I'm afraid I don' unduhstan' why," Jazz replied evenly, stepping up to stand right before the desk. The femme stood as well and sent Chem and Soundwave a pointed dark glare.

"We do not supply medical assistance to ex-Decepticons. After all, they are the reason this institute burned down the first time. As such, we will not allow them to take up residence here, and we certainly won't repair their comrades, which they probably injured in the first place." Jazz's mouth fell open in shock. Chemical looked hurt, while Soundwave kept his fury reigned in.

"I'll have you know that these two mechs are no longer Decepticons," Jazz started, his accent getting lost in his anger.

"Yes, but they used to be, and bots do not change simply because their leader is defeated. They still have red optics!"

"Because they are military build!" Jazz snapped.

"I care not what their frame says about them! I care what their optics do!" she shot back, leaning forward over her desk.

"And the word of First Lieutenant Jazz doesn't matter, either?" he demanded.

"If they are in this room while you are, then no!"

"Jazz," the monotone voice of Soundwave rose over the two bickering bots, and both of them turned back to the cassette deck. "Autobot Moonstrike's condition: more important than Soundwave and Chemical's dignity. Compromise: Soundwave and Chemical will leave if medic will tend to Moonstrike."

"Will that work?" Jazz immediately questioned the femme. "Understand that Moonstrike is a Wrecker femme, and I doubt they will enjoy hearing that you refused to see Ultra Magnus's grandcreation."

Jazz was pleased to see the femme stutter unintelligently at this new bit of information. True, there was a twinge of jealousy in the back of his processor that the mere mention of a Wrecker's wrath caused more fear than Jazz's sheer presence, but he would take what he could get. Right now, they needed Moonstrike back in working order as soon as possible. The femme scrambled around her desk and through the medbay door, and a klik later, a flustered medic was stumbling into the room.

"Salutations, I am Fixit. If you would hand my patient here, I'll get to working on her," he said, stuttering every few words as he hesitantly approached Soundwave.

"Autobot Jazz: stay with Moonstrike at all moments. Order: keep medic from her processor," Soundwave ordered. Jazz nodded as he took Moonstrike from the much larger mech's arms.

**::Order: do not allow medic near Socius or upgrades:: -Soundwave**

**::Understood:: -Jazz**

"Well, c'mon, mech. Le's ge' mah frien' here back ta workin' order," Jazz said cheerfully as he allowed the frazzled medic to lead him back to an examination room. Soundwave and Chemical exchanged glances before going back the way they came.

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><p>To say that Optimus was drained would be an understatement. The mech paced the inside of his office irritably, his processor replaying Moonstrike's last words to him over and over again. He wondered if she knew just what effect those simple words were having on him. "I'm gonna go offline." Those were her exact words. Optimus's mind immediately conjured up pictures of Elita. He could see her broken body in his arms again. He could hear her whimpers of pain. He could sense the spark bond ripping away when her spark finally ceased functioning. He suddenly wished he was at home, where he could break into that lovely store of high-grade meant for moments just like these: moments when her memory came back to strongly. Optimus sighed heavily.<p>

"I need a vacation," he claimed out loud, as if the room around him would reply to his statement. As if on cue, the door to his office hissed open, permitting Mirage, Thundercracker, and Ultra Magnus entrance.

"Now, what is this all about?" Mirage asked without preamble. The red mech, flanked by Ultra Magnus and Thundercracker, stood in front of Prime's desk as the Cybertronian leader stood behind it. Optimus looked at Ultra Magnus first.

"I am uncertain how much you know of this matter; however, I feel that you likely know much more than these two, considering Moonstrike's status as a Wrecker," Optimus began. Ultra Magnus frowned.

"What does Moonstrike have to do with this?"

"Everything. I am sure you are aware that she was captured by Shockwave four vorns before the war ended and used as an experiment for that period of time?" Optimus replied.

"I was aware she was captured, but she could not remember anything when we found her. I was made aware by Perceptor of Shockwave's treachery."

"Then you should also be made aware that Shockwave is not finished with her. We are uncertain what he wants with her, but we know that Soundwave, Jazz, and a mech designated Chemical have taken her to Protihex to protect her." Well, they weren't really taking her there for protection, but the last thing he needed was for Ultra Magnus to send a contingent of overprotective Wreckers to Protihex in search of their femme.

"I see. And you sent for us because…?" Ultra Magnus continued, leaving the question open for Prime to finish.

"I believe our war has just started back up. Our sources say that Shockwave has been reviving offlined Decepticons, and we believe his next target is Megatron," Optimus said darkly. There was complete silence as the other three mechs took in this information and the implications in it.

"They can't just leave this war alone, can they," Mirage muttered bitterly. He looked up at Prime. "I will return to my city-state, and I will gather my forces."

"Try to keep it low-key. I do not want the general populous knowing until they must," Optimus stated.

"I don't think that is wise, Prime." All optics turned to the Seeker, whose red optics met Optimus's with a grim light. "The public likes being informed of things like this. A secret war will ruin your credibility. Besides, the public deserves to know that the Decepticons are back, especially if they need to worry about these revived Decepticons attacking their city-state."

"I understand. In that case, I will inform our Enforcers of the problem, and I will put together a speech that can be broadcasted on the public comm. systems. I will contact the leaders of each city-state and have them prepare their people for immediate evacuation." Optimus sighed as he glanced out the single window in his office. It gave an easy view of Iacon, and as he looked out at the bustling city, Prime couldn't ditch the sense of foreboding in his spark. Something was about to happen, and somehow, he knew he would not be able to help. "I fear this will get out of hand very quickly."

"Then perhaps we should act now. We should start planning and arming ourselves. Prepare for the inevitable," Ultra Magnus suggested. "I will gather my Wreckers."

"And I will contact any ex-Decepticons I can. Skywarp and I know quite a few ex-'cons that would be more than happy to get back at Shockwave for one reason or another," Thundercracker added. "However… Prime, you must know this," the jet continued grimly, "the second Megatron is revived, almost all of the ex-'cons _will_ follow him. He has proved himself as a resourceful leader, and they hold less grudges against him than against you."

"Understood. In that case, we must defeat Shockwave before he has a chance to complete his plans," Optimus said with finality.

"Yes. I will remain in touch," Ultra Magnus stated. "I must confer with Kup. Until all are one."

"Until all are one," Prime replied.

"I will head out as well," Mirage added, giving Prime a farewell nod. Thundercracker sent Prime an undecipherable look before leaving as well. Optimus glanced out the window one more time. All he could do was hope that the war would wait until he got Moonstrike to safety.

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><p>"I said I wanted her unharmed!" Shockwave roared. Blackout scowled as he stood up. Every time he rose to his feet, Shockwave would beat him back down again. He would discretely stand again when the scientist would move on to beat on another flyer.<p>

"It was... impossible to get her… away from them. They killed… one of… our finest. He didn't even… have a chance… to grab his gun. It was… halfway out of… his subspace," Blackout stated in between deep vents. His cooling systems were currently offline, something he was planning on seeing Hook about if he ever got out of the stupid lab.

"I see… Luckily for you imbeciles, Moonstrike is still alive. She was recently spotted in Protihex. Injured, but still alive. We will capture her as we complete our mission. The Decepticon shuttles have already been sent out, and they will arrive in Protihex by the end of this solar cycle. We attack at the rise of the first moon. Be there or do not bother coming back," Shockwave snarled. Blackout nodded and fled the room at the obvious dismissal. He didn't have to look back to know that the other seven flyers were behind him. He could hear their words easily enough.

"I can't wait for Megatron to be revived. He's menacing when he yells at you. Shockwave's slaggin' annoying."

Shockwave, now pacing his lab, didn't hear them from behind the now locked door. She had gotten away. He couldn't deny the strange sense of pride that filled him. _His_ experiment had killed and escaped the most elite Decepticon flyers, well, aside from the Command Trine. He knew that she had Soundwave and Chemical with her. He had been informed of the traitor's rendezvous with the Autobot spy that had taken place after the meeting in Uraya only breems ago, and to say that he was angry would be an understatement. After all he had done for that ungrateful cretin, he had betrayed him!

Well, he'd learn a painful lesson about what happens to those who betrayed the great Shockwave! First, though, Shockwave knew he would have to retrieve Moonstrike. She belonged to _him_, and he _would_ be getting her back. Once she was in his possession again, he would turn his focus to reviving Megatron. Shockwave felt a sense of malicious joy fill his spark. Once Megatron was back, he could completely focus on his experiments. Finally, he could do something productive with his time, especially once he got Moonstrike back as his youngling and new lab hand. After all, he would need somebot to replace Chemical, and who better than the femme he had installed slave coding into?

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><p><strong>Littledhampir13:<strong> Well… I don't plan on killing Moonstrike right now… the other OCs, though… 0.o And yeah… whenever you see the word count, I would suggest subtracting 1500 words from that, and it's normally about right. ^^'' I talk a lot, so my replies tend to get long…

**Angel897:** Thanks. :) I'm having fun messing around with her new upgrades. ;D

**Vivian Hale:** XD I'm the same way. I used to hate my name because all the Jennifers I knew were very flighty and annoying. -.- XD The Seekers aren't much without the Command Trine. ^o^ Thank you for your compliments, and I'm glad you like the story.

**Bee-roxs98:** Thank you very much. :) My sister thanks you as well. I love writing Jazz. I've already gotten started on my Jazz/OC/Sunstreaker story, and right now, Jazz is all serious because of how it opens (I'll let you guess and ponder at that), but I'm gonna have so much fun exploring the darker, more possessive side of him. I doubt Prime will find out about that recording anytime soon, but it is very likely he will find it in the future. Thanks for your review.

**Iceshadow911247: **Yeah, and the context would've been "My tail caught his body as he was about to collapse and gently lowered him to the ground as my clutter caught up to me." XD And of all the bots to be a part of this… eh heh heh clutter… would have been Jazz and Soundwave. I giggle every time. XD

**Erin Primette:** Indeed 0.o

**A Wiccan: **You might wanna hide closer to Sides than Sunny. He's been in a bad mood lately. On second thought, maybe being closer to Sunny will be more exciting. Danger is fun =D XD

**Supergirlprime:** 0o0 How did you know? Actually, that was my plan. The longer she is away from him, the more he's going to worry. When she comes back – slag! I can't continue because it will totally ruin the next update. DX Sorry. So when I read your sentence "So what happens once they cross the canyon?" I definitely thought you put "So what happens once they cross the crayon?" I had to double take. Jus' though' you'd wanna know. ;)

**Autobot-Bre:** Thank you for your compliments. And Sarah says… (Hi! Nice that one of Jenn's reviewers actually noticed that I was alive! Thanks for talking to me. How are you?)

**LNMHYLIAN:** D= Sad. I've definitely had that happen to me. My first story on here was a Winx/Yugioh crossover, and people actually liked it (strange as that is) but when I reread it, I couldn't even think about putting my name on it to claim it. I feel much the same about my story _Not of your World_. I discontinued it because I hated it so much. Now it just sits at the bottom of my profile, gathering dust as it will for the years to come. :)

XD Don't worry, I'm the same way. I'm very outspoken, and what I say actually_ is_ said with good intentions. I have only given one flame, and that was to a girl who stole my best friend's story plot. To make matters worse, she made my friend's OCs completely Mary-sue. Made me so mad. The slagger barely changed the words and didn't even change the OCs' names. :( We were rather angry.

Agreed. I dunno if Screamer's gonna make an appearance in this fic. Still trying to decide. I've never really used Starscream as a character, so… yeah. I mean, I have a romance one-shot with him, but I kinda molded him to fit what I needed.

XD My phone has never done that, but he's rather polite, so *shrug* I don't have many problems with him.

Naw. Jazz actually taught himself! He's so slaggin' talented! He can slip behind enemy lines without getting noticed, he can charm any femme, _and_ he can pilot a ship! *swoon*

Yeah. When I looked up "What is a group of cats called?" and it came up with "clutter", my mind kinda glitched, then I busted out laughing. Freaked my bird out. And this is how it would be used in context: "My tail caught his body as he was about to collapse and gently lowered him to the ground as my clutter caught up to me." XD She's catching a dead body as her disorderliness catches up to her! XD

(This is Sarah. Hi to you, too! I love reading reviews cuz y'all's comments help me learn what I need to learn in order to write correctly. Jenn's teaching me right now. :D When I get an account, my penname is gonna be Stardust because my sister's is Lunar Mist! That's gonna be a long way away, though *nod nod*) And thank you. :)

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Neh, it's no biggie. I'm always too lazy to review. XD Kitty Soundwave. Oh, so many strange things could come out of that. XD …? XD Um, thanks? It's actually funny because it's the volleyball players that are rude at our school, but for the most part, we all just coexist. I was raised to be polite, and I have one of those "Southern Sweetheart that Hates Hurting Other People's Feelings" personalities. :P I was raised in Midwest Texas in a Conservative Christian environment. We're all pretty polite here. XD We all love Chem. I need to kill him, just to see what all y'all say XD I would probably get death threats.

**Rapidfeather:** XD Epps and Lennox are the best. *dreamy smile* They're both gorgeous, too… and married. -.-

Soundwave: Positive feedback: not required. Upgrade schematics: infallible.

Ya know, sometimes, I think Wave has problems with positive feedback :\ And Sarah likes dogs. She hates cats and didn't understand why anyone would care about curtains XD Chica isn't into decorating yet. Give 'er a few years ;)

**Ellis Bane:** Don't worry, I'm the same way. I always forget to review stories. -.- Glad you like her upgrades and how they are affecting her. And Sarah says "hi" too.

**Moment-Of-Reason:** Oh, ^^'' Yeah, there's a very long story behind the "Sideswipe for President" bit. XD None of it was quite as serious as I think you think it was. =D Though our human leaders _do_ seem to have issues leading us. It will get better, though… I hope. :)

**XLizardXQueenX: **Oh, I've done that before! I was on my iTouch, and I didn't wanna review on it because the touch keyboard is so slaggin small. =D

**Darth Krande:** Ah, but not all Decepticons can fly. This Bayverse, even if it's a bit AU. I should probably put that in the summary… I keep confusing people. Anywho, despite the fact that he transforms into his G1 tapedeck, he cannot fly like his G1 counterpart. :)

**AlexisOptimus:** Yep! ^-^ They both hate each other, and I think that's hilarious for some strange reason. Every time I think about Drift and Ironhide glaring at each other, I giggle, and I _have no clue why_! It's not even that funny! - And Ratchet's gonna be rather miffed, indeed, especially when he finds out _why_ Ironhide's there. 0.o

**BlackHawk98:** Yeah, I prefer to have at least 3,500 words in a chapter. Anything less is too short, so by my standards, this chapter is actually too short, too. :( And… yeah, I plan for this to go on for a long time. I ain't even half-way through it yet. =D

**Leonixon:** XD Yeah! A bonding present from him! I like that!

Sunburst: Hi, Cia-wuh! I p'ayed hi'e an' seek wit' Opi! Opi good at hi'e an' seek! Opi a spybot like meh!

Jazz: Tha's righ', swee'spark. An' one day, yo'll be jus' as good as meh. Hi, Cierra. Am I invited to this play date?

Dreadwing: Why the slag would you wanna play hide and seek with that squishy!

Sunburst: D'wing said bad word! Eat solvent!

Dreadwing: Jazz, you come any closer with that solvent, and I will slag you.

Sunburst: Bad word!

*Rolls eyes* children, I swear.

**Kellie Witwicky:** I'm the same way. Probably because of the writers, though. The humans in the series are always annoying. The humans on FF normally aren't. We can write them better. *nod nod*

**Jmqe:** Thanks for the review! Oh! Did you read Feacat's latest update? So cute! X3

**Annependragon:** Thank you for taking time to review :) I'm glad my story entertained you. XD I don't think any girls like Carly. She just can't upstage Mikaela (even though I didn't really like her either)

**Jinxed just in Time:** I always saw Shockwave as paternal because of his drones. Dunno why, but I do. :)

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Interesting indeed. ;)

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Wow! Long review! Thank you for taking the time to give me the feedback. And I love the word Obnoxious because of the X. And because of how it sounds. XD I thank you for your patience. I spend my whole Saturday updating this one, because I'm so slaggin' busy during the week. I cheer (I agree on the sports that aren't sports), I babysit, I work at the pet shelter, I have to deal with senior crap, and I have four stories on here (one of which I'm trying with all my heart to finish). So, I'm like you: ridiculously busy. DX

As for getting a FF account, there are pros and cons for that. Pros: (1) It's a rather easy site to navigate. (2) You get honest opinions from reviewers, which can help better your writing skills. (3) You receive e-mails telling you when your favorite stories have updated their stories. (4) You can chat with your favorite authors via FF's Personal Messaging system. (5) You can get writing advice from other writers. Cons: (1) People tell you what they think. If your character is a Mary-sue, or your writing isn't all that well yet, then people will tell you, and sometimes, it's not in a very nice way. That's the only con I can think of, though. I would definitely suggest you get an account. :) Hope you do.

**Ninja Star Light:** Bah hahahaha! I got the mental picture of Moonstrike sighing heavily then just deliberately dropping Jazz when you said that! XD See him go "AHHHhhhhhhh…." Waving his arms and legs wildly. That shouldn't be funny, but everytime it runs through my mind, I grin. Funny.

**WingedandWacky:** Oh, don't stress it, honey! It's in first person, so it's hard to remember the name since it really isn't mention that much. No harm done :)

**Final-Kingdom-Anime-Fan:** Thank you for the feedback! =D I definitely know what you mean. I have the same problem when I'm on my iTouch. I thank you for your compliments.

Now for your questions, allow me to educate you :D This is Bayverse, so it's the movie, but I mixed in a bit of G1, which is the first Transformers cartoon ever shown. That's probably why you won't recognize many of the names. I used to watch G1 reruns with my baby sister Saturday mornings, so I tend to use G1 more than any other universe; however, I simply can't deny the justice Michael Bay's special effects team did the Transformers. It was amazing, and so I use movieverse all the time, too. From what you said, I would say you've seen Beast Wars. If you really wanna be able to recognize all the characters in this, then look up "Tranformers G1 episode 1 part 1" on youtube or something. I know for a fact that it's on youtube. It's a bit corny, but it's pretty good for an 80's child's cartoon. ;)

**L for Love:** Thank you for your review. Glad you enjoyed the story. :)

**oOo KitKat oOo:** Oh, it's okay. I've been busy, too. Hence my updating a day late. I'm really glad everyone liked that short fight scene. I was worried everyone would think it was… well, too short. Hope you liked the chapter! =D Til all are one!

**Hummergrey:** I'm sorry that I'm not replying to all of your reviews. I thank you for all of them. I love that you review each chapter as you read them. I love it because then when I'm checking my e-mails in first period math, I have more than one review. :) Makes me smile. My word goal is always 3,000 words, so anytime I'm below that, I feel that my chapter is too short. And thanks for the compliments and the feedback. Glad you liked it. :) Wreck and rule!

**Lynnie- Lou: **So are you just gonna review every other chapter…? (SS)

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><p>For some weird reason, when Shockwave said, "Be there or do not bother coming back," I kept imagining him saying, "Be there or be square," with this dark glare on his face. XD Then when I typed that he would teach Chemical a painful lesson on what happens to those that betrayed him, I kept thinking of him thinking, "<em>I'll unfriend the ungrateful cretin. He will learn what happens to those who betray the great Soundwave when he can no longer look at my wall on Facebook! <em>*Insert evil laugh*" Tell me that's not random 0.o


	26. Little Sparkling, Filled with Light

1) Yeah, it's a day late, but I had New york shopping to do. If I'm going all the way up to New York, I wanna have warm clothes, especially if we're going this early. So I went shopping yesterday. Then I had to help a friend through her drama. Fun stuff.

2) I bought my first pair of combat boots yesterday. I tweaked them so that they looked more fashionable, but they are still combat boots. Imma wear 'em in New York! :D

3) Yeah, i have cheer practice tonight. Sucks.

4) I do believe that is all. This is a sort-of climax chapter, so sit back, buckle your seatbelts, and enjoy the ride!

5) Guess who's getting Transformers valentines this year! That's right, I am! 3

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><p>Chapter 26<p>

Little Sparkling, filled with light

5,900 words

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><p>Thundercracker was rather impatient while waiting for his only trine mate in their shared quarters at the very top of a seven story housing community building. Skywarp had taken to delivering resources to the building bots while Thundercracker wasn't at home. It didn't pay well, but it kept his mind off the empty space that once held Starscream's bond. Every lunar cycle, they were careful to spend as much time together as possible, forcing their incomplete trine bond to remain online. It wasn't unusual for the remaining two members of a trine to offline once their leader died, but Thundercracker was dead set on remaining alive and keeping Skywarp alive as well.<p>

The hiss of the balcony door brought Thundercracker from his grim thoughts. Skywarp trudged into the room with all the enthusiasm of a dying turbo-duck. His wings, once held high, sagged with exhaustion. Dust covered his frame, hinting to a trip to the energon mines for a delivery. Red optics were dimmed. It was as if an invisible weight was pressing down on the mech's shoulders.

"Hey," Thundercracker greeted. Skywarp looked at him despondently.

"Hi," he mumbled back. Thundercracker sighed as he moved to his wing mate side.

"Come. I'll take you to the wash racks, then I'll get you a nice cube of energon while you cleanse yourself," Thundercracker stated as he led Skywarp to the back of the housing compartment. He allowed his wing mate to enter the wash racks before turning around and moving back to the greeting room, where the energon dispenser was located. He filled a cube and headed to their shared berth room. His mind was blissfully blank as he waited for his trine mate to finish washing. Far too often was his mind filled with memories and worries. Phantom pains from the broken leader bond were constantly flowing through his spark, as if to mock him for his painful loss. He had come to treasure these times of peace.

"You're home early," Skywarp noted tiredly as he moved into the room. Thundercracker grunted as he handed over the energon cube.

"I'm afraid it's not for any good reason," the navy blue seeker said grimly. Skywarp paused to look at his trine mate, giving the mech his full attention. "Shockwave is alive and planning something big." Skywarp raised an optic ridge, feeling hate fill him at the mention of the scientist that constantly argued with their trine leader.

"How so?" he asked, hopping up on the berth beside Thundercracker.

"He's gonna restart the war. He's trying to resurrect Megatron."

"… Again?" Skywarp questioned in surprise. It was no secret that Megatron had managed to escape death multiple times.

"Yes. Prime wants us to gather any ex-Decepticons that would like a shot at Shockwave." Skywarp grinned.

"So I finally get to shoot at Shockwave without getting slagged by Megatron. I'll contact everybot I can… next solar cycle." With that said, Skywarp chugged the rest of the energon and laid down on the berth. His systems immediately slowed as he entered a recharge state. Thundercracker sighed with a gentle smile. Skywarp certainly was an interesting mech, but Thundercracker wouldn't trade him for the world. After all, who could ask for a better brother?

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><p>"What do you mean, 'She's in Protihex'!" Ratchet roared. Ironhide winced, then ducked to dodge yet another wrench thrown his way.<p>

"Exactly what I said! She was in danger, Ratchet," Ironhide shot back as he straightened.

"She's _still_ in danger, you half-bit microchip!" Ratchet snarled. "She _just_ got her body back!"

"What, you think I _forced_ her onto the shuttle? She can go wherever she wants!"

"I don't give a slag about how she got on the shuttle! I care about where she's at this klik!"

"In Protihex!"

"I _know_ she's in Protihex! _Where_ in Protihex?" Ratchet demanded. Ironhide opened his mouth to send back a retort only to find that he currently had no more.

"We're not sure," he said rather sheepishly. He grimaced when Ratchet's optic ticked. That was never a good sign. Ironhide watched as the ex-CMO seemed to grow more and more angry right before his optics, then he watched as the ex-CMO carefully reigned that anger back in.

"Here's what's going to happen: I am going to contact the Protihex Medical Mechanics University and tell them to keep an optic out for a Wrecker femme. You are going to arrange for us to have a ride to Protihex. We will find her ourselves."

"But what about contacting all your medical associates?" Ironhide asked hesitantly. Prime had sent him to do a job, and he planned to see it through.

"I will contact them on the way there. For now, Moonstrike is our top priority. Unless, of course, you would like to speak with Arcee. Moonstrike is her creation, after all." Ironhide stiffened at the mention of his sparkmate's best friend.

"I'll get right on it," Ironhide stated. Ratchet smiled victoriously as he left the room and headed to his office. Blackmail was a wonderful thing.

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><p>I woke up to the inside of a medbay with no memory of ever arriving there. I glanced around from where I was laying on my stomach. My rotary engine was <em>so<em> sore, and my arms hurt. My visor was slid over my optics, protecting them from the medbay's bright lights, but I could still see Jazz leaning up against one of the many counters.

"Jazz?" I whispered. The silver helm lifted, and blue optics met mine. A charming grin lifted his lip components, and he pushed off the berth and strode to my side.

"Hey, li'l Moon," he greeted gently. I cocked my helm at him, wondering why he was calling me "Moon". Was it a new nickname? No, that made no sense. How did he get "Moon" out of "Freedom"? My tail shifted as I attempted to roll over onto my back.

"No, Moonstrike, don't move jus' yet. The medic said 'e fixed ev'rythin', but 'e doesn' wan'cha ta move 'til 'e c'n ge' one mo'e scan," Jazz stated.

"Autobot Jazz, my mistress's processor is currently only running cybercat protocols. As such, she has no memories of her last few solar cycles. If you would be so kind as to help me onto the berth, I can sync up with her and adjust her processor functions," came a deep, refined voice. I stared at Jazz as he looked at something on the ground beside my berth.

"Sure, Socius. If ya think that'll fix 'er, then go 'head," Jazz said to the floor. He knelt down and lifted a small silver drone onto the table. I followed the drone with my optics as he strode purposefully toward my back. My rotary blades were gently pushed out of the way, and I felt the drone transform himself into my back, just below my rotary engine. Socius linked to my systems, and it was as if a switch was flicked in my processor. Memories flowed back, reminding me of the long flight over the Sea of Light, the fight I had participated in, and the short conversation with Optimus Prime.

"Where's Chem and Soundwave?" I asked, saying the first thing that came to my mind. Jazz's smile turned somber.

"They're doin' research on the where'bouts a' the Well of All Sparks. The nurses wouldn' le' them c'me in b'cause they 'ad red optics," Jazz replied darkly. I frowned. The war was over. Then again, I guess I could understand their hesitance.

"Is Chem's flight tech repaired?" I questioned. Jazz nodded.

"It wasn' ovuhheated like ya engine was. It jus' needed s'me rest."

"Oh. And where's the medic?"

"'E 'ad ta ans'uh a vid mess'ge," Jazz replied easily. "The nurse said s'methin' 'bout anuhthuh medic callin' 'bout a patien'."

"Oh… and we're gonna leave once he gets back?"

"Yeah. We gotta ge' to the Well b'fo'e Shockwave does."

I was about to reply, but at that moment, the medic came back into the room with an awed look on his face. He was a typical medic. He was tall with blue optics and a white paint job that sported a red five-point star that every medic wore on his right shoulder. His optics locked onto me, and he appeared to force a smile.

"Good! You're up!" he said with forced enthusiasm. "Ratchet told me to make sure you stay here until he arrives."

"Ratchet?" Jazz and I exclaimed at the same time.

"He knows I'm here?"

"'E found 'er?"

"How did he find me?"

"Why is 'e comin' 'ere?"

The medic took a step back as Jazz and I peppered the poor mech with questions, speaking over each other in our desire for answers. He sent the door a panicked glance, and I knew he was gonna run for it. I slowly sat up, and my movement had the desired effect. The medic's optics darted to me before he strode to my berth to aid me in my task, though I didn't really need the help. My rotary blades felt heavy on my back, but it was nothing that I couldn't live with. For now, I needed to meet back up with Chemical and Soundwave.

"Jazz, we have to find the others. We have to find them before…" I sent the medic a quick glance before continuing, "our enemy does."

"No way! You two are _not_ leaving here after Cybertron's greatest medic ordered me to keep you here," the medic protested as Jazz approached my side and helped me from the berth. I sent the medibot a scathing glare.

"If you wanna fight me for my right to leave this facility, I would be more than willing to demonstrate how the Wrecker's democracy works," I threatened. Most Cybertronians were under the belief that Wreckers battled each other for leadership rights. It wasn't true, but I was not above using that misconception to my benefit. Luckily, this medic appeared to be as misinformed as the rest of the general populous. His faceplates went slack with fear, and I could almost see the internal battle that waged behind his optics. I almost felt bad for him. Almost. I'd have to apologize once I finished our mission. However, at the moment, I had a job to do.

"Jazz," I alerted. The silver mech grinned and nodded. His claw found my servo, and without warning, we were dashing out of the medbay.

"Hey! Get back here!" the medic ordered, but he was ignored. I grinned as I ran beside Jazz through the reception area and towards the university's entrance. It was like we were sparklings, running from our creators after breaking something. We rushed through the university's doors, and I allowed Jazz to lead me down a side street as we ran.

"Soundwave an' Chem are on the edge a' the city. They foun' ou' where the Well is, bu' they don' know 'ow ta ge' inta the Well's chambuh," Jazz stated. "They're at the Well now."

"Good. That means that—" I broke off when a large shadow passed over us, moving in the direction we were headed. I looked up and felt horror fill my spark as two more black shuttles passed over us, the purple Decepticon insignia glinting brightly in the light of the setting sun. I watched as they descended from the sky, quickly being shielded from my view by the tall Protihexan buildings.

"Hurry!" I cried, forcing my legs to move faster. Jazz sped up as well. I was unsure if Chemical and Soundwave had been spotted yet, but I knew one thing for certain: Shockwave would show them no mercy for betraying him. As we reached the edge of the city, I could see the three large groups of Decepticons as they exited the three shuttles, and I grimaced. Our chances definitely weren't very high. Jazz gently pulled me behind a pile of metal beams that would be used in a housing community.

**::Correct entrance: two megamiles south. Current location: fake. Covert actions: necessary. Decepticon warriors: energon-thirsty.:: -Soundwave**

I looked over at Jazz to see if he had received the message as well. I received a single nod from him, and I knew that he had some sort of plan.

**::'Ow many times di'ja go b'hind enemy lines in ya sabotage career?:: -Jazz**

**::Counting the time I got captured? Once.:: -Moonstrike**

There was a paused as Jazz groaned aloud and rubbed his forehelm with two claws. I gave him a sheepish smile when he glared over at me.

**::What can I say? Overprotective creators.:: -Moonstrike**

**::I **_**would**_** ge' stuck wi' the amuhtuh.:: -Jazz**

**::Hey! I'll have you know that I am a very skilled sniper, and I can obviously take down a Decepticon without even alerting his comrades!:: -Moonstrike**

**::Yeah. C'n ya take down three hundred of 'em?:: -Jazz**

**::I could certainly try, but don't expect anything big.:: -Moonstrike**

**::You are annoyingly unhelpful.:: -Jazz**

**::Really. Well, now that we got that out of the way, what's the plan?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Move south, which is tha' way:: **-He pointed to our right- **::an' 'ope we don' ge' shot.:: -Jazz**

**::Well, that sounds like a nice plan. I especially love the 'not getting shot' part. Very intuitive.:: -Moonstrike**

**::You got a bettuh plan?:: -Jazz **

I grinned. I couldn't help it. Jazz was sending me a deadpanned look, and I could only imagine what he was gonna do when he found out what my plan actually was. Without further ado, I rose to my pedes, pulled in a deep breath, and started screaming.

"DECEPTICONS! EVERYBOT, RUN! GET AWAY!" With that said, I grabbed Jazz's hand and sprinted back into the city, still screaming hysterically.

"GET AWAY WHILE YOU CAN! DECEPTICONS OUTSIDE THE CITY!" Mechs and femmes gasped when they heard these words, and panic spread like a disease. People rushed around the city, searching for shelter and weapons. Mechs ran in the direction we had just come from, large weapons in their hands while the femmes moved toward the university, which had a bomb shelter on the lowest floor now. As the pandemonium covered our movements, Jazz and I moved southward, following Soundwave's commands.

**::Previous command: use covert actions. Previous actions: not covert.:: -Soundwave**

**::My bad. I just lost it for a few kliks. Everybot has moments like that.:: -Moonstrike **

I didn't receive a reply, which I took to mean that Soundwave didn't approve of my sarcasm or my flashes of brilliance, if that was what one could call what I had just started. I paused when I felt a blip on my HUD. Somebot was following us, and another was about to intercept us.

**Onlining battle computer.**

**Activating battle protocols. Battle protocols activated.**

**Accessing weapons subspace.**

I sped up as I released Jazz's hand. My claws slid from subspace, and my tail spiked up. I met the intercepting Decepticon without slowing down. I tackled him to the ground as Jazz turned to face the other one. My enemy and I rolled over the ground, each of us attempting to get the upper hand in the fight. When the momentum stopped, though, he was on the bottom, and my hand was in his chassis. A klik later, his spark was no longer beating, having been crushed by my hand. I couldn't deny that I was disturbed by the brutality of the kill, but it was quickly pushed to the back of my mind as I turned to face my next opponent.

The 'con was actually my height, and he looked rather amused by me. I sprinted toward him, prepared to simply slash his throat open. The mech narrowly dodged by swipe and retaliated by slashing out with a wrist blade. It was easy for me to dodge. I wrapped my tail around his waist, taking him by surprise, and I let the spikes dig in before yanking the tail away again, taking many important wires with it. He cried out in pain as he collapsed to the ground, small sparks emitting from the wound. I turned away from him, knowing that he was out for the count.

The next opponent was not my own. Another Decepticon had decided to team up on Jazz, and he was preparing to stab the smaller mech in the back. Feeling fury at the gall of somebot trying to harm one of my pack, I dashed over to his side, pulling a rotory blade from my back as I approached him. I knew he wouldn't be able to see my movement. One moment his dagger was there, about to plunge into the Autobot's back, and the next, his whole hand was gone, cut off by my rotor blade. He yelled in pain, but was immediately silenced when my blade removed his head.

Jazz dispatched the final foe and glanced around at my handy-work. He sent me another deadpan look, before rolling his optics and rushing off southward again. I grinned and reattached my blade to my back before following him.

**::Jealous because I had to save ya?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Naw. I'm mad cuz ya offlined ev'ry bot b'fo'e I could question 'em.:: -Jazz**

**::Yeah, because we both know that you question every bot you fight.:: -Moonstrike**

**::It's s'methin' new. Don' question mah methods.:: -Jazz**

**::Whatever you say, Jazz.:: -Moonstrike**

**::Very goo', rookie.:: -Jazz**

**::I don't think you should call me that. I took out twice as many enemies as you did.:: -Moonstrike**

**::'Ey, wha' did I jus' say 'bout questionin' meh?:: -Jazz**

**::Oh, sorry, great and noble –:: **I cut off when an explosion caught me off guard. I soared to the right and slammed into a building. I watched Jazz as he tackled the tank-type Decepticon as I slowly forced myself to my pedes. Primus, that _hurt_!

**Right shoulder joint: dislocated.**

Slaggit! Ratchet was gonna be so mad once he found out. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind as I dashed toward the battle between Jazz and the now transformed Decepticon. However, I was intercepted by a smaller, streamlined Decepticon. I scowled as he dashed around my frame, cutting and slashing at me every time he got close enough. A low growl rose from my vocal processors, and I suddenly swung out with my left claw, barely hitting the mech. He recovered, but not before I slashed out again with my left hand. He released a gurgle as his throat was brutally destroyed. I watched him collapse to the ground before glancing over at Jazz to find that he had just finished dispatching his opponent.

**::I hate fightin' bigguh en'mies.:: -Jazz**

I grinned at him as we continued running. That grin turned into a grimace when my right arm flopped around unresponsively behind me as I ran.

**::Well, I hate getting thrown into buildings.:: -Moonstrike**

**::Yeah. Tha' 'appen'd ta meh back on Earth. I almos' took Megatron down.:: -Jazz**

**::Wow. You fought Megatron? Was it nerve-wracking?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Naw. Fightin' Megsy was fun. Well, 'cept fo' the endin'. Dyin' kinda sucks.:: -Jazz**

**::I can imagine.:: -Moonstrike**

**::Shockwave: approaching. Proceed with caution.:: -Soundwave**

**::Acknowledged.:: -Moonstrike**

**::Moon, whatevuh 'appens, get away. If ya haf'ta leave us, then leave us.:: -Jazz**

**::I'm a Wrecker. We don't abandon our comrades, and I certainly will not abandon my pack.:: -Moonstrike**

**::…Pack?:: -Jazz**

**::Yes, now pay attention to your surroundings.:: -Moonstrike**

The communication link went silent as we both focused on the upcoming battle. I could already see Chemical and Soundwave standing in the distance. And behind me was a small group of Decepticons. I could see another group on my radar moving to intercept us. I stiffened my resolve, understanding that there was a big chance that I wouldn't live through this battle.

**::I need all Wreckers who are based anywhere near the south end of Protihex to move to my position! Movement authorized by Wrecker femme Moonstrike. Decepticon attack. Do not harm these two ex-Decepticons!:: -Moonstrike **

I sent a picture of Chemical and a picture of Soundwave with the comm. message along the community Wrecker comm. system. I gave a single nod and finished the message just as the intercepting group of Decepticons appeared around the corner. Without a second of hesitation, I leapt into the fray, Jazz at my side. The first 'con to charge at me received a claw to the throat. The second received a crushed spark. The third had the throat yanked from his neck.

This was the one thing that had always scared me about battling like a true Wrecker. I found that I didn't mind killing these Decepticons, because I knew that they were going to kill me or some other innocent bot I didn't have time to regret my actions because the enemy kept coming and coming. It was rather alarming at how quickly I dropped into a zone of sorts, slashing with my only useful arm and striking with my barbed tail while dodging other attacks. I could feel the spurts of energon as the enemy's life-fluids spattered my frame. I could feel that my body was receiving injuries, but my processor pushed it to the back of my mind as it focused on bringing down the next target. I blazed a path down the middle of the swarming Decepticons with Jazz by my side as the sun dropped from the sky. It was almost as if the sun had seen enough of the violence and was fleeing the terror, as the first moon took its place with glee.

It was then that we reached the spot where Soundwave and Chemical were fighting. The Decepticons near them fought with dark vigor while the Decepticons farther away looked around for the two Autobot enemies. With a grin, I realized that I had found the hitch in Shockwave's plan. He had sent so many Decepticons, that it made it nearly impossible for them to keep track of two Autobots, especially when said Autobots both had visors hiding their optics.

**::Entrance: behind us. Haste: appreciated.:: -Soundwave**

I sent the mech a single nod as I rushed past them to the seemingly random staircase in the ground. Jazz stayed behind to fight as I rushed down the many stairs. If I hadn't been afraid for my pack, I would have counted the steps, for there were many. However, my pack was still upstairs fighting, so I knew I would need to hurry. The staircase spiraled downward, and it was too narrow for me to simply fly down as I desired to do. So I rushed down the steps, attempting not to completely lose my footing as I moved. The last thing I needed was to slip and end up rolling down the stairs.

When I finally stopped at the bottom of the stairs, I slowed as time seemed to stop around me. The staircase opened to a large circular chamber. It's metal walls were adorned with glyphs that I knew only a born Prime could read, and small blue balls of light floated around me, lighting up my sky blue armor and causing the energon on my frame to glow a little. In the middle of the room was a bright yellow circle of light, and I knew that this was the Well of All Sparks, the place where sparks go before either going to the Matrix or to the Pit.

"Hello?" I called out hesitantly, looking around at the blue orbs floating round the chamber. Said orbs fluctuated a bit and faltered in the air a bit before straightening out. I frowned at them. "Can you understand me? I need help." The orbs seemed to like this knowledge. A few suddenly floated down to my height and circled around me. A beautiful melody rose from the orbs, and I realized they were humming a Cybertronian lullaby to me. I giggled a little as I recalled the words, singing along with them as they danced around me in the air.

"_Little sparkling, filled with light,_

_Come and play with me tonight._

_We'll run and play and dance and sing._

_We'll learn fly and eat lovely things._

_Little sparkling, filled with love,_

_I will watch you from above._

_And as you fall asleep with me,_

_I will protect you from everything."_

It was a song that every femme creator sang to their sparkling at some point in their sparklinghood. With a bouncy, yet soft tune, it was easy to learn and fall asleep to. I hadn't heard it in a long time, yet the words came to me so easily. I grinned as the blue orbs continued singing and dancing. It seemed so surreal, yet so right to be singing and dancing with these orbs. Then I remembered why I was here.

"Can you guys help me? I'm here to find a spark," I informed the lights. They stilled in their dancing and moved in closer, as if to listen to me. "I need to find Megatron's spark." There was a general sound of surprise and confusion. "I have to get his spark because Shockwave is after it."

That was when I discovered just what the orbs of light were. One by one, the orbs turned into translucent Cybertronians. The ones that had been floating around me were obviously sparklings and younglings. The ones above me were almost all adults. A pink-armored femme floated down to my height and landed lightly just before me.

"_We have been watching you, Wrecker Moonstrike," _the femme stated. I stared at her in shock. These sparks have been watching her? Why? She wasn't anybot special.

"_Ah, but you _are_ special,"_ an older mech stated as he floated down to stand by the femme. He had red and purple armor with an exaggerated forked chevron that came with age. He had excess facial metal (his beard and mustache) that also came from age, and a purple material cape flowed from his shoulders. My processor immediately pulled up the name from the datapads I had read while I was a cybercat. This mech was Alpha Trion. I had to pointedly ignore the fact that he had just proven that he could read my thoughts as I moved on to my question.

"I'm just a Wrecker who was in the wrong place at the wrong time," I stated. If I had just let my creators kep me from fighting in that battle, none of this would have happened.

"_Perhaps you were in the _right_ place at the _right_ time. Think about it. Had you not gotten captured, you wouldn't have met Chemical, and you wouldn't be asking to protect Megatron from Shockwave's conniving schemes," _the femme replied.

"_She does not have that information yet, Elita,"_ Alpha Trion broke in. Elita's optics widened for a second and a sheepish grin graced her faceplates.

"_My apologies," _Elita replied before turning her attention back to me._ "Tell me, Moonstrike, why do you think we allowed you into the Well's Sanatorium?" _

"Sanatorium…?" I repeated with confusion. Elita smiled gently.

"_Yes. This is where we repair shattered sparks before they are judged. The actual Well of All Sparks is right before you; however, this chamber is the Sanatorium. We repair the sparks here so that they can go right into the Well right there," _Elita explained patiently.

"But other bots have come down here before, and they've never –"

"_You are seeing something that no other mech or femme, aside from the Primes, have ever seen before. To any other bot, this is just an empty room that once contained the open Well of All Sparks. However, Sentinel Prime sealed the Well from civilians after a disastrous encounter with Megatron. We don't let just _any_ bot come in here now," _Elita interrupted.

"Then why am I here?"

"_I believe this is my question to answer. You are here, Moonstrike, because we believe you can give an broken mech another chance,"_ Alpha Trion stated.

"I don't… understand," I confessed. Alpha Trion smiled gently at me.

"_Megatron was not always a bad mech. He started out as a very important mech that wanted only to protect Cybertron from her enemies. However, he met a mech by the name of Megatronus Prime, now titled The Fallen. He was one of the original Thirteen, but his desire for power only grew until we were forced to fight him to protect our own planet. He was defeated, and he disappeared for a time. Megatron, while thirsting for power__over his favored brother, found Megatronus and allowed the fallen mech to poison his mind."_ Alpha Trion went silent, his optics dimming as he remembered watching the Lord High Protectorate slowly grow darker, unable to help. He had long since been labeled as a crazy and senile old mech, one that wouldn't know what he was talking about. They had claimed that he simply didn't want a mech with a name similar to that of the Fallen's in power. I watched the emotions playing across his faceplates and felt the need to pull him from his dark thoughts.

"But what does that have to do with me?" I asked. Elita smiled.

"_We wondered what would happen if Megatron actually had someone to love him, someone to live for. He is a wonderful leader, though a bit ambitious, and we believe he could do a lot of good for Cybertron if raised right."_

"Wait. 'Raised right'?" I repeated. Elita nodded.

"_Yes. Socius, eject," _she ordered. I was shocked when Socius obeyed. My propeller blades lifted horizontally as the drone dropped from my back. He skated forward toward Elita and Alpha Trion.

"Command acknowledged. Further commands?" Socius questioned, stopping just in front of the two offlined sparks.

"_Socius, your job is complete. You have brought this youngling body to the Well's Sanatorium, and you are released from your duty," _Elita stated in a commanding voice. Socius nodded once, then his body powered down. I gasped and rushed forward to catch him. I lifted him into my arms, holding him close to my spark as I glared at Elita.

"What did you do to him?" I demanded. Elita smiled long-sufferingly.

"_Allowed him his freedom. Now, you have a chance that no other bot has had before: that chance to raise a strong leader. I believe you can do it,"_ Elita stated.

"_We are running out of time. Vector Prime, do you have Megatron's spark?"_ Alpha Trion questioned. I stared in awe at the former protector of time and space. Elegant white armor was accented with red and gold. Light teal wings pointed downward from his back, much like my propellers did, and blue optics shined kindly. In his hand was a pulsing white spark. If I didn't know better, I would say that the spark was actually excited to be there. Megatron wouldn't show an emotion like that, though, would he?

"_You are forgetting that this is not the same Megatron you know, Moonstrike. This Megatron will have just upgraded to his youngling body. In his optics, he just was upgraded from his sparkling body. He has no memory of his past wrongs or of his enemies or allies. We made sure of this when we worked out the plan and repaired his spark," _Alpha Trion clarified. I nodded slowly as Vector Prime stopped right in front of me. It was strange to see the guardian of time and space standing before me, spark in hand with an expectant took in his optics. I had always thought he'd be taller. Chuckles filled the room, and I blushed bright blue when I remembered that these sparks could hear my thoughts. Vector Prime sighed heavily, his optics rolling upwards as he mouthed, 'Why me?'.

"Sorry," I said quickly, holding out Socius's body. Vector Prime shook his helm with another optic roll, but he didn't hide the amused smile. I watched as Socius's chest plates slid open to reveal and empty spark chamber along with every necessary system that a Cybertronian required to live. It truly _was_ a youngling's body.

"_The time has come. Return, Megatron, and redeem yourself,"_ Vector Prime ordered in a deep voice that filled the room. The spark leapt from Vector Prime's hand and shot into the exposed spark chamber. It settled in, and I watched in fascination as the body around it changed to fit the spark. The long flaps that served at audio receptor decorations shrank down into cute Optimus-esque antennae. The silver armor turned more jagged, as his armor had been in his adult frame; however, he retained Socius's hands, rather than gaining his adult form's claws.

I yelped in pain when I felt the demanding yank in my spark. This wasn't right. A sparkling was supposed to gently tug on a creator's spark, asking for the bond, not demanding it. I stared down at the youngling in my servos in confusion, then I looked back up at Vector Prime, who had moved back to stand beside Alpha Trion and Elita-One. It was Alpha Trion who answered my unspoken question.

"_We cannot take the chance of you accidentally rejecting the bond. Forgive us for inflicting this pain, but it is necessary,"_ he stated with a sad and guilty expression on his face. Then the pain came. I groaned as I dropped to my knees, still holding youngling Megatron to my chassis. Fire crossed through my spark at the forced bond imprinted on it. As if I hadn't been through enough these last few cycles. Then, just as fast as it started, the pain faded, leaving me feeling numb.

"Danni?" a small voice asked. I slowly looked down at the mechling in my arms. Two red optics stared back at me curiously. I smiled as I felt his creationly affection through our new bond. I cuddled him against my chest as I slowly lay down, my exhaustion growing. Megatron purred as he burrowed into my chest armor, seeking the warmth and the sound of my spark. Elita-One smiled at me as the sparks started fading away. I could hear the sound of mech's calling my name in the distance as my optics began to offline.

"_You will make a good sparkmate for him. Keep him happy and show him love. Don't disappoint me."_ It was the last thing Elita-One said to me before she disappeared. I released a light sigh as the sound of feet pounding down the stairs filled the chamber. I smiled down at Megatron, who had dropped into a light recharge.

"_Little sparkling, filled with light,_

_Come and play with me tonight._

_We'll run and play and dance and sing._

_We'll learn fly and eat lovely things._

_Little sparkling, filled with love,_

_I will watch you from above._

_And as you fall asleep with me,_

_I'll protect you from everything."_

Jazz knelt down beside me as I finished singing to my mechling.

"Moonstrike? We won the battle thanks t' a group a' Wreckers fr'm Northside Khalkon. Ratchet is 'ere, too. 'E wants ta give ya a check-up, then we're gonna go back ta Iacon in Skyfire. Did anythin' 'appen down 'ere?" Jazz asked gently. I wondered if he thought I was laying down on the ground for fun. Then I remembered that I _had_ just gone through a battle, so he probably thought I had collapsed from injury. I gave him a small smile as I pulled Megatron away from my chassis so that Jazz could see him.

"Jazz, meet my mech creation, Megatron."

* * *

><p><strong>Vivian Hale:<strong> XD I hear that all the time. I say it, too. Dunno if it's a South thing, or if it's a national thing. Eh heh. Yeah, Prime has no problem telling everybot else that she's his intended, but he has trouble actually tellin _her_ that he likes her. Well… I'm not really tall. I'm only 5'5". I'm really, really loud, to the point that my teachers call me "loud mouth". And yes, I mean that if they wanna talk to me, they actually say, "Loud Mouth, can you come to my desk." I'm too modest to say that I'm hilarious, and that's in the eye of the beholder, so… ;P

**AlexisOptimus:** My friend? Lynn? Or someone else? Teehee. Yup, Jazz is the first to find out about Prime's claim on Moonstrike. ^-^ What's the friends and family gonna say 'bout that? :D I hate getting kicked off the computer. That's why I got my iPad. With my iPad, my mom can use my laptop while and I can still browse the internet. :)

**Erin Primette:** Moonstrike's having a bit of a bad cycle. But hey, she got a youngling outta it! =D

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Yeah. Oh, I understand completely. There's a kid in my grade that's absolutely in love with me because I wanted to be a helicopter pilot once upon a time, and I'm the only person that was nice to him. :( The kid doesn't quite get a hint, and I'm too nice to tell him that he's creeping me out now. -.- We must inform Optimus that being nice can be bad. You know what they say: "Be nice to the weirdo, gain a stalker for life."

And thank you. I don't really hold a grudge for a long time. It just sucks because now, anytime I go to practice, she pisses me off all over again. So I stay made because I have practice every weekday, and now, one day on the weekend. TT^TT

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** I know! I love protective Prime! :3

**Kellie Witwicky:** You know, every time I begin to write your username, I almost put "Widwicky"? I feel like such a fail, because this is my fandom! How can I misspell the main human character of my fandom's name? Gah!

Any who. Yeah, just a little. And yeah, Sarah was in that story. Lynn, my…friend, was the one that actually came up with the name "Lunar Mist". Sarah suggested the fairy name theme, though. I don't got a niece just yet. Ben's getting married in March, so no little ones running around just yet. I hope their first is a boy, though. I will train in the ways of the Transformers! =D

Very true! Shockwave creeps me out, but Scalpel creeps me out because he's a spider. - Arachnophobe right here. -.-

**Angel897:** Glad you like it. ^-^

**Bee-roxs98:** He might die. He might not. I haven't quite decided just yet. I'm glad the chapter made you smile. I had to really immerse myself this week, because of how hard I'm working on my Valentine's Day special. I kept going back to that one. - XD Yep. Optimus can be pretty fierce when he wants to be. :D I hope you enjoy the other stories I suggested. :)

**Iceshadow911247:** XD He's just trying to get his experiment back. You can't blame him for that, right? ;) XD Loved the cat stories! My dog doesn't do anything funny. He just sits there and is protective, especially of Sarah. He doesn't let anybody get close to Sarah. Guess he thinks she the pup of his pack or whatever. He hates Ben, so maybe that's it. Maybe he thinks he's alpha. Oh well. Ben ain't gonna be living here for much longer anyways.

XD I think that's what everyone else would think if I killed her off. Everyone would keep reading, though, waiting for me to bring her back to life. XD

**LNMHYLIAN:** WOW! 0.0 that _was_ a long review! XD I hate having to write the possessive form of "Optimus" because it looks so awkward. Optimus's. Looks wrong. =.= LOL! Hey, Unicron is cute, too! We can't dismiss him just because he's evil! And ugly, but everyone has something about them that's cute! Like Unicron's desire for power. That is simply ADORABLE! XD Anywho, yeah, I despise the "love at first sight" fics, simply because I don't believe in love at first sight. It's completely irrational and illogical. I got a whole argument for it too *nod nod*

XD Yeah, a puppy is what Chemical is usually likened to. When I first introduced him and he was humming while he worked, the reviews basically consisted of "Awww! He's like my puppy! He's so cute! Can I keep him!" Which is funny, because I had planned to make him hardcore and Terminator-esque, but when I wrote the scene, he turned out to be like this. :3 I wouldn't have him any other way, either. :)

XD I'm the same way. Jumping from topic to topic, so talk all ya want, honey. It works. :) Can't promise to address everything in the reply, but I promise to read whatever you write :)

I don't mind if you address us by Sarah and Jennifer. If you don't wanna, I got thousands of nicknames. :) XD Serious demotion, indeed. ;)

**Leonixon:** XD Sweet Jazz is the best Jazz.

Jazz: Don' I know it. Don' b' jealous of Moon', eithuh. There's plenty a' Jazz ta go 'round, ladies.

*eye roll* I hate it when mechs know how irresistible they are *sigh*

And everybot on here hates Shockwave. -.- I'm gonna make him a good guy in the end, just to keep all y'all from the righteous justice y'all all have planned for him. Cuz I know all y'all are expecting Prime to torture him and torment him before killing him slowly for hurting his femme. XD

And Soundwave would certainly be around, as you will see next chapter. You will _love_ next chapter. Just sayin'.

Dreadwing: Do you hear this, human author! Your squishy friend is ordering me around!

Me: You will get absolutely no sympathy from me.

Dreadwing: Slag all of you!

Sunburst: *gasp* D'wing say bad word to _Jennifer_! She gonna make D'wing a femme!

Me: Muahahahaha

**Jinxed just in Time:** Here's the update :) Little late, but still made it before Monday. :D

**Autobot-Bre:** Yeah, she's having a bit of a bad cycle. Then again, when doesn't she had a bad cycle. -

**Edward-Elrics-Girl:** Thank you for taking time from your day to review and give me the feedback. :) I'm glad you like the story, and I'm definitely glad my OCs grabbed your fancy. Ya know, I actually started using Jazz so that I could learn how to write accents? My first story with him in it was _A Little Burst of Sunlight, _and I did so well, that I started using him more often. It helps that I have a friend that talks and acts just like him. I love possessive Prime as well. I figured that after losing one sparkmate, he would be overprotective of the next one. :\ And in this story, I'm actually working on developing my skills at writing bad guys, so I'm glad that I'm succeeding in that. Thanks again for your review!

**Rapidfeather:** Soundwave is very smexy. Got that strong and silent thing going on. *swoon* XD Decepticons dancing to backstreet boys? What could be better?

Soundwave: Request: denied.

**Annependragon:** I concur. Optimus can be pretty mean when he's pissed. ("We'll kill them all.")

**Littledhampir13:** :( don't got the time. Too much other stories and too little time. I'm spending all my free time on my Valentine's Day special right now. :)

Yes, Jazz is adorable all the time. And when he's not adorable, he's simply charming. Yes, Jazz is a swoonworthy mech. *nod nod* As is Soundwave, of course.

**Ninja Star Light:** Glad you liked it :)

**Fanmanbookman:** Thanks for reviewing to give your opinion. :D At first, that was my plan, but three chapters in, I thought, 'Okay, this is gonna get redundant, then it's gonna get boring.', so I went back and rewrote my outline. :) Glad you like it!

**Diamond White:** You will have to see. I can't tell you anything about Soundwave or Chemical's motives. Yet. You will find out, though. =.= Imma give Moonstrike a break next chapter. :) Imma torture Optimus instead. ;P

**Mrshappypotter:** I'm a random person ;P You get used to it. :D Thanks for the review. Glad you like the story. :)

**A Wiccan:** *Insert evil smile* Danger… LET'S GO PAINT SUNSTREAKER PINK! =D

**Hummergrey:** Aw. :) Thanks! That review totally made my day, by the way.

Teehee. Yeah, he got paid back a bit, but he also comforted her when she was lying down, _and_ he stayed with her while the medic was working on her, so he may still be in danger.

I loved writing that part! I was like, 'I think after 24 chapters, I should allow my readers to have just a bit more fluff before the slag hits,' So I had her comm. Optimus. :3 And I definitely have fun throwing around the Wrecker name, but hey, who wouldn't be afraid of bots that not only enjoyed killing, but that a group of five Wreckers could kill something that a whole contingent of Autobots couldn't kill? I'd be wary of them ;) So yeah, I think being a Wrecker is the way to go. =D

First Aid will actually be coming in for a cameo in a few chapters. Not in Protihex, though.

And the facts that Shockwave creeps everybody out is good! That means I'm succeeding. The personal lessons for this story were building a romantic relationship without making it too fast, building a bad guy that doesn't seem cheesy, and developing a turncoat that still seems evil. I failed on the turncoat part, because neither Soundwave nor Thundercracker seem dark. -.- Well, two out of three is better than nothing.

**Supergirlprime:** Fixit is actually one of my OCs. I used him in _A Little Burst of Sunlight_, so if you read that one, then that is likely where you recognize the name from. :) I think all your other questions were answered in this chapter, though. :D

**Dawn Racer: **Thank you for the review. Glad you like it! :)

**Lynnie-Lou:**If you keep ignoring me, then so help me Primus, I will return the favor. Or worse. I don't give a slag if you're pissed at me, but at least tell me first. I can take your ire, but I can't take you ignoring me. Friendship doesn't work that way. If I have to give you an ultimatum, then so help me Primus, I will. Remember: Jazz and _Prowl_. _My_ revenge is carefully thought out. You should know this by how we got back at Lissa. Don't make me turn this processing power on you.

Sideswipe for president (SS)


	27. Pack Up and Head Home

1) Sooo, my Valentine's story will be a combination of four one-shots. It will be adorable, and I hope all y'all look forward to it. I'm gonna post the preface on Thursday, February 9 to raise excitement or whatever, so keep an eye out for it.

2) Sooo... I love how my plot twist took y'all all by surprise! this is good, because one of my personal lessons from this story is how to execute a proper plot twist. So this means I'm succeeding. I'm very close to the point where i have learned all my self-taught writing lessons, and once i get there, i will start writing my novel. :)

3) Would you believe that that battle scene last chapter was the first actally in depth battle scene I've ever written? Go figure.

* * *

><p>Chapter 27<p>

Pack up and head home

4,217 words

* * *

><p>"Jazz, stop staring at him like that!"<p>

"I can't 'elp it! 'E slaggin' tore meh in half!"

"No, the _old_ Megatron did that. This Megatron is little more than a sparkling. _My_ sparkling. And if you don't stop staring at him like he's gonna suddenly jump out of my arms and eat you, I will show you just how protective Wrecker femmes are of their creations!"

"'E ain' even yours!"

"Slag you, Jazz!"

"Don' need ta! Tha' kid already did! On Earth!"

"Danni, what's happ'ning?"

I scowled at Jazz. He had spent the last few breems sitting with me – well, he sat and leaned my upper body against himself since I mysteriously had no strength left – while we waited for Ratchet to arrive. I discovered, via internal systems check, that I was, in fact, very injured. My right shoulder joint was completely destroyed, and Ratchet would have to completely replace the joint. One of my two rotary blades was completely bent, courtesy of the same explosion that destroyed my shoulder joint, and one of my audio amplifiers was apparently crushed against my head, making everything sound slightly muffled. There were lacerations all over my frame, meaning new welds would be needed, and to top it all off, my spark signal had completely disappeared for four breems while I spoke to the offlined sparks of the Well's Sanatorium. I couldn't remember speaking with them for that long, but I didn't question it. After all, my right arm seemed to be functioning just fine while I was talking to them. I doubt there was _any_ logic to those four breems.

Though he had been kind enough to support my weight and keep me company, I couldn't deny the utter fury that flowed into my spark every time he sent Megatron a suspicious glance. I mean, seriously! Megatron was only a youngling! I had started the argument quietly, only whispering at Jazz irately, but the argument had quickly grown louder until it had interrupted little Megatron's recharge cycle. My scowl turned into a smile as I looked down at my youngling.

"Nothing, sparklet," I said gently. Megatron looked up at Jazz curiously, and I followed his optics. Jazz's visor was down, but both Megatron and I could easily see his grimace. Megatron whimpered a little and cuddled close to me again, hiding his face from the saboteur. I scowled. "You are such a slaggin' jerk! Who picks on sparklings?" I snapped using my left arm to cuddle him closer, sending love and comfort through our bond.

"He –" Jazz started, but I cut him off.

"No!" I snapped angrily. I looked down at Megatron, who had jolted at the sound of my raised voice.

**::Stop comparing him to a mech that is dead!:: -Moonstrike**

**::Moonstrike, if he's back, then he can simply pick up where he's left off:: -Jazz**

**::Or he can be raised correctly, **_**without**_** the influence of the Fallen, and he can prosper as a successful mech. He is not who he was.:: -Moonstrike**

Jazz released a heavy sigh. I frowned at him, not really knowing what else to say. Megatron shouldn't have to deal with these prejudices. He had done nothing wrong. Sure, his past self had, but that was not _this_ Megatron. I would not have a mech that was claimed as my pack belittling my youngling.

**/Love. Wonder. Amazement. Joy./**

I smiled down at Megatron as he gave me a small smile. It never ceased to amaze me when he sent me emotions through our new bond, and almost always, they were positive, the only negative feelings being the fear and uncertainty Jazz provoked in the young mech. I had discovered a breem ago that Megatron responded very positively to the protective feelings that tended to filter through the bond.

"My danni," Megatron murmured. I grinned.

"My sparkling," I returned. Megatron whined, embarrassed by the title.

"I'm not a sparkling, Danni! I'm a youngling now!" Megatron asserted. I rolled my optics.

"Of course you are, sparklet," I conceded. Megatron smiled with approval as he laid his helm against the armor just over my spark. His optics dimmed as he listened to the calming thrum of my spark. Jazz stared at us unabashedly, but I ignored him as I hummed to the mechling. Luckily, the older mech didn't speak until Megatron's systems had slowed back into recharge, easily picking up where they had left off.

"I'll give 'im a chance, Moon, bu' only _one_. Maybe 'e does d'serve a chance. 'Sides… 'e's kinda cute," Jazz said, a grin edging onto his face. I smiled at him.

"I know he is," I replied.

"How are ya gonna tell ev'rybot else?" Jazz questioned. I grunted in consternation.

"I'm not sure. How does 'Hey, guys, Megatron's my sparkling' sound?"

"_What did you say?"_ Ratchet's angry voice filled the chamber, and I jumped in surprise, effectively waking Megatron back up. He looked around, just as startled as I, and his optics landed on the angry form of Ratchet, who was standing to our right with three bots I didn't know.

"Oh, hi, Ratchet," I greeted uneasily. Ratchet stalked forward, the three bots following behind him hesitantly.

"Why don't you explain that last statement?" Ratchet snapped, glancing at the frightened Megatron for a klik before doing a double-take and outright staring at the small mech. Megatron cowered in my arms, not wanting to tussle with the large, angry mech.

"This is Megatron, my sparkling," I introduced.

"Youngling," Megatron interjected. I smiled at him.

"Megatron, my _youngling_," I corrected myself. "Megatron, this is Ratchet, the finest medic on Cybertron."

Megatron, now knowing that the large chartreuse mech was a medic and therefore would not harm him, edged his helm away from my chassis a little to give him a scrutinizing look. Ratchet shuttered his optics and slowly moved his optics back to mine. I felt a medical scan tingle my circuits and frowned at Ratchet.

"What did you do to your shoulder joint, femme?" Ratchet demanded, moving to my side. I gave him a sweet smile.

"I carried Jazz over the Sea of Light," I told him.

"'Ey! Ya slaggin' traituh!" Jazz exclaimed. Ratchet leveled Jazz with a dark glare.

"You can explain to Prime and to her creators why she's returning home injured," the CMO said matter-a-factly. Jazz's mouth fell open as he gawked at Ratchet as if he had just received the worst possible punishment. Ratchet, satisfied by Jazz's speechlessness, moved his attention back to me. "I need to strap your arm to your body to keep the joint fragments from slaggin anything else up. Aid, come give… Megatron… a scan. Make sure everything's good."

The mech that stepped forward wore armor of red and white. A blue visor covered his optics. On his red shoulder was a white medic insignia, and on his left was an Autobot symbol. He seemed gentle enough, but the second he stepped toward me, a low warning growl ripped from my vocal processor. My left arm pulled Megatron closer to my chassis, and my tail, now spiked with my protective aggravation, lifted off the ground and moved close in front of my youngling. Jazz tapped the back of my helm harshly, breaking my concentration a little.

"Now, don' star' this, Moon. Tha' there's Firs' Aid. 'E's a nice bot, an' you ain' gonna growl or threat'n 'im anymore," Jazz informed in a commanding voice. I glanced back at him, taking in his confident expression. "C'mon, Moon. Don'cha trust ya pack… bot?" I gave another low growl as I turned my attention back to the bot apparently designated First Aid.

"Harm my youngling and face my wrath. It takes far more than a few injuries to weaken me," I warned, releasing Megatron from my grip. "Go to the medic, Megatron. All will be well," I promised, my glare turning into a gentle expression as my optics turned to my youngling. Megatron nodded hesitantly as he hopped off my lap and trotted toward the red and white medic. He paused as he passed Ratchet, looking up at the yellow mech.

"Are you gonna help Danni?" he asked, his voice still higher pitched due to the lack of use. I grinned at the thought of big, bad Megatron ever having a childishly high voice, and I wondered when it would deepen into the baritone he was known for having. Probably close to when he received his last frame. I watched Ratchet as he forced a smile onto his lips.

"Yes, little one," he replied. Megatron's mouth screwed into a grimace.

"Are you gonna give her a stinger?" he asked with a child's innocence that dragged a real smile to Ratchet's face. He had forgotten how much younglings hated injections, more commonly known as "stingers" amongst the younger population.

"Probably, but it's going to make Moonstrike feel better," he claimed. Megatron scowled.

"That's what medics _always_ say," he muttered, looking over at First Aid. The mechling's optics suddenly widened, and he looked up at Ratchet in a panic. "_I'm_ not gonna get a stinger, am I?"

"Not if you're a good youngling," Ratchet promised. Megatron nodded and rushed over to First Aid, hoping the medic wouldn't give him a stinger for stopping to talk to Ratchet first. I stiffened when First Aid knelt down and lifted Megatron into his arms.

"Let's get you above ground," the red and white said with an easy smile.

"No!" I snapped. "He does not leave my sight," I added, looking over at Ratchet. "There are Wreckers up there, and they are not likely to take kindly to discovering that… you-know-who is back, even if he's not in his right state of mind or body."

"You do not trust your own mechs?" Ratchet asked, cocking his helm to the side.

"Not with my youngling, I don't," I shot back. Ratchet hummed in irritation as he moved to my side, activating a deeper scan as he knelt by my side.

"Your systems are quite shaken up. You will need some energon while we're flying back to Iacon," Ratchet informed me as he pulled some cloth from his subspace.

"Understood. Any injuries up top?" I asked nodding in the direction of the staircase. Ratchet nodded.

"A few. Chemical lost an arm. Soundwave was unharmed. If that was who you were worried about," he relayed. I nodded, unsurprised of Soundwave's lack of injuries. I was fairly certain it was impossible to "injure" Soundwave. Jazz gently lifted my upper body off his chassis. I hissed in pain when Ratchet gently moved my arm so that my upper arm was against my side and my forearm was against my stomach. He proceeded to wrap the long strip cloth around my chassis and injured arm, securing the limb to my trunk. He tucked the end of the cloth into one of the cloth's folds and glanced back at the other mech. "She's all set, Hot Spot," he cued.

I was more leery of the white and powder blue mech. He appeared to be about the same height as Optimus and had blue optics that held that same leader-like wisdom. Among the red accents on his armor was the Autobot insignia. He smiled at me as he stepped toward me. I hissed lowly, not completely trusting the mech, and I was rewarded by another harsh tap to the helm, compliments of Jazz. Hot Spot hesitated for a second when he spotted the Wrecker's version of the Autobot insignia on my left shoulder. I didn't blame him. We Wreckers could be rather intimidating when we wanted to be. I hissed again, this time in pain, when Hot Spot lifted me into his arms, holding my bridal style and pressing my left side protectively against his chassis. He nodded at Ratchet before moving to the stairs, the other mechs following after him.

"So… you were the one that got Fixit all riled up…" Hot Spot started awkwardly. I frowned, looking up at him.

"Fixit…?" I asked, not recognizing the designation.

"The medic that worked the clinic at the university last solar cycle," the mech clarified. "He said a femme Wrecker with weird audio receptors and a tail ran away from him."

"I had things to do, and he was trying to keep me from my duty," I said with a shrug, pointedly ignoring the insult to my audio amplifiers. Perhaps I could drop by later and scare Fixit for the insult. "And who are you?" I asked, eyeing the mech holding me.

"My designation is Hot Spot, leader of the Protectobots," he replied. So _that_ was why I recognized his designation. All Wreckers knew who the Protectobots were. Suddenly, his hesitation in picking me up made more sense. After all, Wreckers were kind of the anti-thesis of his field of expertise. Protectobots were known amongst the Wreckers for their strange need to repair everything that walked. Well, perhaps that was as much of an exaggeration as the Protecobot's belief that Wreckers simply enjoyed killing everything that walked.

"Well, I am Moonstrike, Wrecker femme," I stated, deciding that it was only fair that I give him my designation where he had given me his. Hot Spot nodded in greeting. "So why are the Protectobots here in Protihex?"

"It seemed like the place to be. Blades is the only one who is originally from Protihex. He's from Kaon, and he didn't really want to return there. So we station ourselves here, teaching at the university and defending the city if it needs the defense."

"I see, so you were amongst the fighting mechs," I surmised. Hot Spot opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Ratchet.

"Moonstrike, quit talking! Save the strength," Ratchet groused. I rolled my optics.

"Yes, noble medic, sir!" I shot back.

"Watch your tone, femme," he warned. I narrowed my optics, but heeded his words, going silent as I waited to see the surface. I was shocked at how many stairs there were. Had there really been this many when I ran down? I remember there being a lot, but I didn't remember being _this _many. The silence made the trip uncomfortable, and I kept glancing back at Megatron, who was being entertained by a small puzzle. My thoughts kept returning to Jazz's one question. How _was_ I gonna tell everybot else? It wasn't something that could be ignored. Megatron would, no doubt, accompany me over to Prime's housing unit, and he would have to live in my room, so my creators would have to be informed. How to tell them, though…

The moon greeted us gently as we reached the top of the staircase. Wreckers loitered around in small groups, most casting suspicious looks to Chemical and Soundwave, both of whom were waiting at the top of the stairs as Soundwave clamped off energon lines in Chemical's left shoulder. Chem held his left arm in his right hand. When he caught sight of us, Chemical waved his left arm cheerfully. Soundwave glanced over at us and gave me a single nod. He placed one last clamp before moving toward us. Hot Spot stiffened a little more with every step Soundwave took.

"Battle strategy: irritating. Wrecker backup: not required. Moonstrike: _bad cybercat_," Soundwave chastised. My one good audio amplifier pressed back against my helm in shame, and I looked away.

"I think she did splendidly," Chem chirped as he trotted to stand by Soundwave's left side. "Stirring up the city was brilliant. Springer will be proud!"

"Chemical: not helping," Soundwave bit out. Chemical grinned at visored mech.

"Admit it! It could've gone a lot worse!"

"Immediate area: swarming with Wreckers. Moonstrike: injured. Chemical: injured. Ravage: injured. Mission: unsuccessful."

"No, it wasn't," I interjected. Soundwave and Chemical ceased their bickering to look at me quizzically. Well, Chem looked quizzical. I didn't know if Soundwave was even capable of physically showing emotion. "I retrieved Megatron's spark, like you ordered. He's my youngling now." Chemical's optic ridges rose as he leaned around Hot Spot to gaze at Megatron, who was still held by First Aid.

"Well, we weren't expecting him to bond with anybot… least of all, you," Chem admitted bluntly. I glared at him.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" I demanded. Chem put his right arm up in surrender, his left hand flopping around at the movement.

"Just that it wasn't in the plan. I think you will make a _marvelous_ danniluk, Moon, honest, I do," Chemical said with a cute smile. He nudged Soundwave with his right shoulder as he let his right arm drop back to his side. "Who's gonna tell Arcee?"

"Answer: unknown," Soundwave replied.

"…Does that mean you don't volunteer?"

"Soundwave: values life."

"Yeah, I can see your point… I elect Jazz!"

"_What the slag!_" Jazz exclaimed, looking betrayed. "'Ow c'n ya do tha' ta meh, mech? Aftuh all we went through?"

"You kept me from my recharge, harassed my poor Moonstrike, and almost killed us with your inferior piloting skills. I believe Soundwave and Moonstrike will agree with me on this one." Jazz scowled at Chemical for a klik, before he suddenly broke into a smile.

"Fine. I'll tell Arcee if _you_ tell Prime," Jazz bargained. Chemical smiled.

"I'm afraid I don't ever have a chance to speak with Optimus Prime, therefore, I will be unable to give him the message," Chemical declared. Jazz's scowl returned.

"I hate you."

"I assure you, the feeling is mutual."

"Chemical, Autobot Jazz: desist useless quarrel. Protectobot leader Hot Spot: hand Moonstrike to Soundwave," Soundwave cut in, holding his arms out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Decepticreep," a cocky voice said suddenly. Helms turned to see three other bots walking toward them. Two of them had white and red armor while the last one had brown and red. My optics locked onto the helicopter-bot that had just spoken. "Stand away from our leader and the femme," the 'copter ordered. I glanced over at said "Decepticreeps" to see their take on these new bots. Obviously, the two didn't enjoy being called out by their old faction. Chemical wore a deep scowl while Soundwave's visor lit up a little.

"Blades, they fought as allies, and there is no reason for name-calling at the moment," Hot Spot said sagely. Blades scoffed as he stopped by his leader's side.

"Looks like a 'Con, killed like a 'Con, must be a—"

"The war is over, Protectobot. Let's not bring back old feuds that have long-since been forgotten," I interrupted smoothly, sending the mech a cold stare. His optics locked with mine.

"And who are you?" he asked, a charming smile coming to his lips. I scowled.

"The creation of Arcee and Springer. I'm _more_ than off-limits to the likes of a bot like you. Springer would tear you a new one," I snapped.

"Whoa, guys. What's with all the hubbub? No need to argue, just get along. Let bygones be bygones," the brown and white mech broke in with a strangely whimsical voice.

"Groove, I do not think they require your intervention right now…" the other red and white stated flatly. Groove looked over at him, as did Blades.

"My thoughts exactly, Streetwise," Blades said pointedly. Streetwise rolled his optics at his hot-headed brother.

"I apologize for trying to help," Streetwise muttered.

"I didn't ask for your help," Blades shot back.

"Yo!" Jazz yelled. Everybot went silent and looked back at him. "I don' care who's arguin' wi' who or who's 'elpin' who! We got a seriously injuh'd femme 'ere, and an injuh'd mech. Skyfire is waitin' ovuh there ta fly us back ta Iacon, so unless you Protect'bots are comin', ya need ta 'and ovuh Moon and Megs so tha' we c'n get 'em s'me medical att'ntion," Jazz snapped, automatically slipping back into the role of first lieutenant. Soundwave didn't wait for Hot Spot to make a move. Instead, he simply yanked me from his arms.

"Autobot Jazz: retrieve youngling Megatron. Time: little. Return to Iacon: necessary," Soundwave ordered. The three new Protectobots balked at Soundwave when he said Megatron's name.

"Wha' do you mean 'youngling Megatron'? Megatron's a kid now?" Blades spluttered. Soundwave gave a single nod.

"Sorry, 'Aid, bu' we gotta go. C'mon, Megs," Jazz ordered gently, lifting the youngling into his own arms. I felt Megatron's unease through the bond and sent back a sense of protective promise, to which he responded with joy and love.

"Inform Optimus Prime that we will be coming to pay him a visit in Iacon after we spend some time repairing the city. I must speak to him about this attack," Hot Spot requested.

"Will do," Jazz replied amiably. "See ya 'round, Protect'bots."

"Autobot Jazz: quit lagging behind," Soundwave called from a few feet away. Jazz glared at him, but jogged to catch up with him as he carried me to the ship, Ratchet and Chemical following after.

"So this is Moonstrike?" a gentle voice asked as we approached the large, white jet. Both of his white wings bore a red Autobot insignia.

"Yes, I am," I replied, silently wondering how big this bot's bi-pedal form was. In jet form, he was easily twice as tall as I was. A ramp lowered from the back of the jet, allowing us to board. The inside of the cargo hold was completely empty. No chairs, railing, or anything a normal shuttle would have. The walls were plain gray and held various dents and scratches. Soundwave, being the first in, walked as far back as he could. He set me on the ground before gracefully seating himself on the floor, leaning on the back wall, then he gently lifted me back up and settled me into his lap, as he had on the shuttle ride to Protihex. He made sure that my left side was leaning against him and that my right arm was left untouched.

"Danni," Megatron murmured. Jazz, the last one on the shuttle, set the youngster down, and I watched as Megatron hurried to my side, sending Jazz accusing looks. I smiled down at my youngling as he looked up at Soundwave curiously before scurrying into my lap, being ever careful of my arm. Surprisingly, he cuddled up against Soundwave, who didn't seem at all shocked by the youngling's actions.

"We're ready to leave, Skyfire," Ratchet announced as he knelt down beside me, offering me a cube of med-grade energon. I smiled and muttered a "thank you" as I took the cube with my good hand and started sipping on it. Skyfire was careful as he took off, slowly working up speed before blasting off diagonally. I heard a hiss, and a door to my left that had not been there before slid opened to reveal a big, black, and familiar mech. His blue optics lit up as did his two cannons. My venting system hitched as I stared at the mech-wrecker that had been in the medbay when I first woke up.

"Chemical," he growled, as if the very word was a curse. "It's been a long time since you've last popped up on the grid," he continued darkly. Chemical, being the mech he was, simply shrugged it off.

"Yeah, you Autobots don't really like me," he chirped waving his dismembered arm with the uninjured one in a flippant manner.

"Chem, you are the only mech I know that is _this_ cheerful after losing an arm," I remarked in between sips of energon as I watched the exchange. Chemical grinned.

"'Course I'm cheerful. The Decepticons lost, and Megatron actually isn't looking for a punching post! In fact, he's cuddled up to Soundwave," Chem said happily. Ironhide's mouth went slack as he looked over at the Cybertronian leader and I. Sure enough, mini-Megatron was snuggled up to Soundwave's broad chassis, snoozing comfortably.

"He-he-he…" Ironhide froze up, a spark jumped from his helm, and he promptly collapsed, shaking the whole jet in the process.

"Slaggit!" Ratchet exclaimed irately, stomping over to the black mech. "'Stay in the cockpit so you don't complicate things,' I tell him. 'Prime was nice enough to send Skyfire to pick us up, so stay in the cockpit so you don't freak out Moonstrike again.' But does anybot listen to me? Nooo," he muttered to himself. I grinned as Ratchet repair the old mech.

"I wasn't quite expecting that," I murmured, my systems slowing a little as my little one's fatigue floated over the bond and combined with my own. I would need to take a shower once I got back home, I realized. I had energon all over myself. Gross.

"Autobot Ironhide's reaction: understandable. Turn of events: illogical."

"Neh, what _is_ logical nowadays?" I replied.

"Situations that include Moonstrike: always illogical."

"That was uncalled for," I said with a small grin.

"Statement: uncalled for, yet true." He raised a hand to my helm and started rubbing my undamaged audio amplifier. "Audio amplifier: damage extensive. Repair: time consuming."

"How's Ravage?" I whispered as I went limp in his arms.

"Damage: minor. Front left paw: torn off. Tail: broken."

"Mmmm. That must've… hurt," I murmured, my processor slowing down at the blissful movement of Soundwave's hand.

"Recharge, my cybercat femme," Soundwave said gently. A purr rose from my vocal processor before my systems slowed down, and I joined my youngling in blissful darkness.

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><p><strong>Littlehampir13:<strong> XD Glad I got ta throw ya off a little. Been planning this twist for forever! :P

Now… for fanfics with an oc… I liked _Solemnly Swear_ by Death's Inevitable Kiss. It's still in it's beginning stages, but has great potential. _Not So Normal _by oOo KitKat oOo is good. Hmm… _Unfortunate Life of a Fanfiction Authoress_ by Corrie Crossbearer is good. Really intense, too. _A Single GlanceNormal _by NekoYami911 is also very good. Check out my favorites section. I only put stories I really liked in it. :)

**Erin Primette:** Yep! Next chapter, she finally gets home!

**Iceshadow911247:** O.O Eh heh heh, no. Not quite. I think this chapter cleared this up a bit, too. Megatron's her kid :) Opty's not being replaced. ;P

Cat stories are the best. XD My bird chirps and whistles at 6 am every morning until I wake up and feed him.

I've had moments when I've given up sleep for story updates. Especially stories like Faecat's _science and Fiction _and DaemonicKitten's _Her Twins. _=D Good stories, those two.

Hope I updated fast enough to save Jazz from the brick. 0.0

**Vivian Hale:** =D It gets better, too XD Can't wait to write and publish the next chapter! Sadly, though, I am working on my Valentine's stories all this week. As the first chapter comes out this Saturday. Gotta get 'em all written!

Well, thank ya. :) Dunno if I'm considered tall, but I'll take the compliment anyways. :P I have _tons_ of nicknames. It's rather ridiculous, actually. M&M, Lambo (it got out that I was a Lamborghini without brakes -.-) Sideswipe, Lunar Mist, Jay-Em (which usually gets pronounced "Jame") Loud-mouth, Cheerleader, Eyes (another long story that involves Lynn). The list is rather long. -.-

**Diamond White:** I'm sure this update cleared your question, but just in case, yes, Megsy is her youngling or child, son, whateva ya wanna call 'im. :) It was a rather packed chapter, though. Hope I didn't overwhelm ya. ;)

**FireReader93:** :) the powers of an evil authoress, making all y'all wait for this update. And yep, he's gonna keep the name, only because if I change his name, then there is no longer anything that makes him a canon character. He would be turned into an OC, in my opinion. :) And don't worry, he's gonna have quite a bit of backup.

**Ellis Bane:** Well, your glitch fest started with ol' Ironhide. XD

**Animechick113:** Drama indeed! Youngling Megatron is rather adorable, though.

**LNMHYLIAN:** XD Yes! My goal was reached! Throw all y'all for a loop! Yes! Megatron is, indeed, a child! Plot twist!

Eh heh, yeah, I tend to have Prowl moments a lot. I'm one of those lucky people that uses both hemispheres on my brain, so both creative and logical, which is probably why I'm so good at weaving together stories like this. If it's not logical, I can use that creativity to _make_ it logical. Lynn (you've probably seen us going back and forth via reviews) always said that I was a combination of Jazz and Prowl, with a dash of Sideswipe thrown in there with a pinch of Optimus Prime. Of course, Sarah was just like, "I think she's all Megatron." Aren't little sisters simply darling? Man, I hate love-at-first-sight stories, simply because of, well, the illogicality of it. :( I always roll my eyes and press the back button. Given, I'll find a few that I'll start reading, and I'll be like, "It's still got a good plot, so I'll keep reading it."

LOL. I'm one of those that will think before speaking unless I'm tired. Then again, if I'm tired, I can speak fluent gibberish. In the mornings, until 10 am, I only speak in grunts and other such vocalizations. =)

Loved the story! XD I came in contact with a guy in a Soundwave t-shirt while in line at Chik-Fil-A, and he looked at me and said, "Soundwave will defeat Autobot sympathizer." I couldn't figure out what he meant until I looked down and remembered that I wore my Optimus Prime t-shirt. XD So I said, "Hey, man, at least Optimus survived the last battle. Soundwave got killed by a bunch of squishies." He grinned at me and told me we should go get a drink together. I calmly informed him that I was only sixteen and that my father was the man to his left glaring at him ^-^ Happy memories.

**Rapidfeather:** Yeah, Wavey's a bit of a stick in the mud. This is okay, though! We will still prevail!

**Kellie Witwicky:** I agree. The hatchlings in TF2 &TF3 weren't very cute. Well… when Megsy was feeding the little ones in the desert, they were kinda cute… So if Megatron died… does that mean all those little hatchlings are gonna die, too? OoO :(

**AlexisOptimus:** Gotcha! Sarah's more than just a friend. :) She's my li'l sister, so I'm stuck with her ^-^ I love how everyone is taking this newest plot twist. Did even mean for that chapter to be a cliffie or anything. =D

**Noella50881:** Hopefully, with the right influence, Megsy will grow to be a good mech. :)

**Autobot-Bre:** Yes, yes, yes! Momma Moonstrike with mini-Megatron! XD

**Random reader:** 0.0 I have left ya speechless! Please don't cuss, though. ;) My sister reads these reviews.

**Lynnie Lou:** Wow. Just… wow. Are you really threatening to use my best friend against me for revenge in some form or fashion…? That's… wow. I don't quite think that's gonna work, darling, but hey, take your best shot. We'll see who comes out on top. Five bucks and my Ironhide lunchbox say that you won't win this war.

MAY THE BEST FEMME WIN.

SIDESWIPE FOR PRESIDENT (SS)

**Supergirlprime:** =D That was the reaction I was going to. Yes, a creation is a child. Basically, if a stranger saw her with Megs, they would think she is mated and had him with that mate. 0.0 I can't end it yet! I still has so, so, so many ideas! Gotta keep going!

**Leonixon:** XP Don't worry. Only reason I logged in was because I had ta. -.-

Jazz: 'Ey now! That 'urt right 'ere! Righ' in mah spark!

Moonstrike: Jazz, stop harassing the humans!

Sunburst: *gasp* who you?

Moonstrike:… Optimus's… friend…

Sunburst: OoO You friend wi' Op'mus Pretty Voice?

Moonstrike: *snicker* yep.

Yes. I was hoping to catch everyone off guard. :) Very packed chapter, no? I giggled when I was writing it, so you are definitely justified.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness: **XD Thank you! Glad to catch you by surprise!

**Shinigami-Sama1:** Thank you for the compliments! :D Glad you enjoyed it. I aim to please. :)

**Story Writer 4 Eva:** Thank you for reviewing and giving me feedback! :) Glad you enjoyed the story, because I certainly enjoy writing it. It's a learning experience for me. :D

**Fanmanbookman:** I will definitely keep writing it. Can't leave all y'all hangin' ;) I think y'all will like the Wrecker introduction and the Optimus introduction the best. More twists are to come. :D

**Angel897:** Glad you liked it! The reactions will definitely be interesting. It will be fun to write.

**Dawn Racer:** It definitely was a loaded chapter. My first thorough battle scene to ever write, and the first time I've ever altered a canon character. :) New experiences are the best!

**Dreamin'BIG:** Thanks for the review! I am glad I could keep ya hooked! Hope you liked the newest update!

**A Wiccan:** Yeeeeesssss! Let's get to it! Hey, Ratchet! Got a Cybertronian tranquilizer we can use!

**Jinxed just in Time:** I've ignored my other stories so terribly. I've been thinking of updating them next Saturday instead of this one… Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. Well, whatever I update gets updated, I guess. See, three weeks ain't too bad. _A Rough Road to Recovery_, my Ratchet/OC fic, hasn't been updated in almost six months! DX

**Hummergrey: **Aw, thanks! I even had a little melody that went with the lullaby. I was all excited, thinking, 'Hey, if I remember this, maybe I'll be able to sing it to my children!' Then I forgot the melody. TT^TT /3

I think that's how life works for Ratchet. He's so used to winning against everybot. I feel kinda bad for him, cuz I keep pitting him against Arcee, and one simply can't win against her. Or Chromia. Chromia's rather unbeatable as well. *nod nod*

Yes, actually, the cybercat programming will cause quite a few interesting situations XD I'm having so much fun coming up with quirks in the Wrecker society! So much fun!

Oh, and when Megsy meets the parents and Optimus, it will be spectacular. Jus' sayin'. Got it all planned and everything. :)

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Yay! Welcome to the life of a Fanfiction user. ;) I didn't realize I had put Sideswipe for President at the end of the chapter until I started getting all these reviews commenting on it XD That's actually part of a long story. An inside joke, if you will. Easily explained, but not really serious. :)

**Ampdi:** Aw, thanks for the compliments! Ratchet kinda brushed it off, but Optimus's reaction will be amazing. :) Got it alllll planned out. =D

**3xX-BOTDF-Xx3:** In my mind's eye, Mini-Megs is adorable. Just a tiny version of himself without the bad attitude. He'll really get some of Megatron's traits next chapter. :D

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Glad you liked it! "Sanatorium" was my word for the week, so I had to use it. XD

Yeah, crazy stalkers are really creepy. :( The kid still doesn't know how to catch a hint. -.- Oh, well. Three more months, and I'll never have to see him again. ^-^

Sarah is asleep at the moment, but she did see you review. :)

Neh… She's just… grr… Yeah. Grr. That describes her very well… Things have changed now, though. She's having to rely on me more because it turns out that I'm the only one the girls will obey. I've been in cheerleading for six years, I'm the one that disciplined them from the start (many thanks to my drill sergeant uncle for advice on that), I have all the ideas, and I know how to give praise and correct without pissing the girls off. They know I'm working with them, they know that I understand their troubles, and they know that I'm here to help them, not tear them down. *nod nod* It's getting better. :)

**Ninja Star Light: **XD Glad I took ya by surprise! I so do love my plot twists and the reactions I receive from them.

**Edward-Elrics-Girl:** =D I love taking all y'all by surprise. Thanks for the review. And mini-Megs is definitely adorable. ;)

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><p>Now, y'all don't take Soundwave's last words too literally. It's just a pet name. He doesn't think he's her master or anything.<p> 


	28. Famous Last Words of a Fool

1) Everyone check out my Valentines story! It's called _"Ways to Marry"._ Super cute! Promise.

2) Due to the logic from my friends, I have decided to explain something. In human age, Megatron is about two to three years old... I won't lie. Last chapter, I had planned to make him about five, but it's easier for me to write younger bots. And I can add in sparkling cuteness :3

3) This site is making me mad because it keeps refusing to load. Just wanted all y'all to know of my frustration.

4) And guess what! Guess what! It's snowing! It's only 37 degrees fahrenheit outside, and it's snowing! *gasp*!

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><p>Chapter 28<p>

Famous Last Words of a Fool

3,787 words

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><p>Optimus paced irritably in his office, waiting for the inevitable comm. from Skyfire. He already knew about the battle. Ultra Magnus had come by, demanding to know "what the slag Moonstrike was doing issuing a Wrecker advancement command". Magnus had been under the impression that Optimus had been the one to advise her to order the advance. He had been wrong and had offered a curt apology before fleeing.<p>

Now, Prime was waiting for Skyfire to inform him of their arrival. They would be landing at the Autobot landing dock near the old Autobot base, which meant that the astrosecond Prime received word of their arrival, he could get to Moonstrike in less than a breem, transformed. He needed to assure himself that his intended was unharmed. He knew, if the Wrecker advancement was anything to judge by, that his femme had just gone through a battle, and if the Wreckers had been called, then one could guarantee that it was a pretty fierce one. After all, Wreckers were only called in when the chances of winning were basically zero. _So_, if the battle was intense enough that Moonstrike had called the _Wreckers_ as back-up, then there was no way she got out unscathed.

**::Skyfire to Optimus Prime:: -Skyfire**

**::This is Optimus Prime. What is your ETA?:: -Optimus Prime ** He grimaced at how desperate he sounded.

**::ETA: one point eight three breems:: -Skyfire**

**::Acknowledged. I will meet you at the Autobot docks:: -Optimus Prime**

Optimus had to fight the urge to sprint from the room. His spark was squeezing uncomfortably as he moved to the door. He almost growled when it hissed open and Ultra Magnus and Kup walked in. Magnus opened his mouth to address Optimus, only to get cut off before he could even start.

"I'm afraid I must go, Magnus. Skyfire is returning, and my presence is required," Optimus said stiffly.

"Good. I must speak with Moonstrike anyways. I just received word from Leadfoot that she left with Skyfire," Ultra Magnus said smoothly. Prime frowned.

"Have her creators been informed?" Prime asked.

"You don't want them ta know until they haf to," Kup broke in with a scowl. "They'll overreact." Prime didn't argue that point.

"Very well. If you wish to accompany me, you may," Optimus stated as he pushed past the two Wrecker leaders. The two immediately fell into step behind him. Not a word was spoken as they marched toward the front door with determined steps. Bots stared after them, wondering what had happened to cause the two Wrecker leaders to team up with the Prime of Cybertron. The stares were ignored, though, as the three mechs exited the building and transformed the second they hit the streets.

The trip to the docks could be described as many things. Silent, tense, fast, illegally fast… Had an Enforcer been around, Prime was certain they would have been pulled over. Luckily, though, there were no Enforcers in sight. There was no reason for them in this part of Cybertron. The Autobot landing docks were still in use, but only by dignitaries and other important bots. There was no crime because there was nobot to steal from. In essence, the streets were deserted, something that pleased the hurried Prime. They arrived just as Skyfire was opening his cargo hold door. The ramp dropped slowly, allowing the passengers to disembark.

"Jazz," Prime greeted as he transformed and moved toward the first bot to leave the jet. Jazz, looking exhausted, gave Prime a tired grin.

"'Ey, Prime. Wha'sup?" Jazz asked. Prime gave the bot a gentle smile.

"Well, my first lieutenant left the city on a mission kept secret from his Prime, and managed to start a battle on the same planetary cycle," Optimus replied. Jazz's grin turned sheepish.

"It was a li'l crazeh, lemme tell ya, bu' we won," Jazz announced.

"Statement: overstatement. Success: minimal. Initial goal: reached," Soundwave stated as he strode from the jet, and offline Moonstrike in his arms, her right arm wrapped to her body. Prime frowned at the indistinguishable hunk of black metal resting on Moonstrike's stomach plating, wondering what it was. Chemical was shuffling behind Soundwave, staying close-by as he studied his surroundings with interest. His left arm was held in his right, and clamps held closed important energon lines in his shoulder.

"'Ey, we ain' dead, and we ain' _a'mos'_ dead. Ta meh, tha's a vict'ry," Jazz claimed.

"Current definition of success: reason why Autobot Jazz does not advance in life."

"Hey! Don' you star' with meh!"

"Conversation: started by Autobot Jazz. Soundwave's goal: have last word. Goal: easily achievable."

"I'll have you know tha' I am _very_ advanced in mah life! I'm a sec'nd lieutenant!"

"Soundwave: Ex-Third in Command of Decepticon army."

"Yeah, well, I was the T-I-C of the Autobot army," Jazz shot back.

"Point valid."

"Tha's righ'! You ain't got _nothin'_ on meh!" Jazz crowed, happy that he finally had the last word.

"Use of double negatives: grammatically incorrect. Autobot Jazz's proof of lack of intelligence: obvious again."

"Slag you!"

"Throwing curse words: sign of lack of immaturity. Soundwave: will not lower himself to Autobot Jazz's level of intelligence."

"Then tha' means Imma get the last word, so slag you," Jazz said childishly, turning back to Prime, who was watching the exchange with a combination of amusement and confusion. "I'm headed back ta mah housin' unit. Latuh," Jazz stated as he transformed down into the form of a silver Pontiac Solstice. "I'll see ya next soluh cycle." With that, Jazz revved his engine and shot off.

"It's about slaggin time you onlined again, you slaggin' Pit-spawn!" Ratchet roared from the cargo hold. There was the sound of a loud _clang_ that was, no doubt, the sound of a wrench connecting with a helm, and the next klik, another set of colorful curses filled the air, this time deeper.

"Slaggit, Hatchet! Why the slag did you hit me, you half-bit idiot!" Ironhide yelled back. Ratchet stomped out of the cargo hold, Ironhide stomping after him. Both had murderous expressions on their faceplates, and both were muttering angrily under their breath.

"Chemical!" Ratchet snapped, causing the red and orange bot to jolt and slowly look over his shoulder with an expression of pure fear. "You _will_ be coming back to my medbay to get that arm repaired," the medic stated. Chemical gave him a grin.

"Actually, I think it'd be best for Soundwave to repair me," Chemical responded, taking an subconscious step toward aforementioned bot. "You know how it is, us being best friends and—"

"You_ will_ be coming back to my medbay with me, compute?" Ratchet ground out. Chem gulped and looked up beseechingly at Soundwave.

"Save me," he begged in a whisper.

"Soundwave: no match for Autobot CMO Ratchet. Current development: every bot for himself."

"Traitor," Chem muttered.

"Autobot CMO Ratchet: good medic. Arm repair: will be swift and painless."

"Yeah, that's what you said to that glitch-head traitor five vorns ago. Look what happened to him," Chemical replied hotly.

"Chemical: not a traitor. Chemical status: Soundwave's best friend. Soundwave: not allow Chemical to offline."

"Thanks, pal, but that doesn't help me now."

"It doesn't matter because Soundwave is coming, too," Ratchet said suddenly. Soundwave seemed to jolt as well, but his was barely noticeable.

"Acknowledged," Soundwave replied.

"We will accompany you," Prime said, breaking his silence. Ratchet gave him _the look_, the one that he tended to give Sideswipe before belting him with a wrench or five. Prime sent him back a stern glare, the one he gave Sideswipe before launching into a long lecture that ended with Sideswipe sitting in the brig. Ratchet's look turned suspicious.

**::Does this have to do with the fact that she was your cat?:: -Ratchet**

**::No. It has to do with that deactivated bond node I had you examine.:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Ah. I see. In that case, you may accompany us. You may want to inform Moonstrike that your spark has started laying claims on her before something bad happens.:: -Ratchet**

**::I am getting around to it, Ratchet.:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Well, understand that you may not be the only bot interested in her.:: -Ratchet **

The very thought made Optimus's spark burn with jealous fury.

**::Yes, but I am the one who will have her in the end.:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I believe that is her choice, not yours.:: -Ratchet**

Soundwave listened from the sidelines to the argument going on over the comm. system he had just hacked. How amusing. The Prime was apparently infatuated with his little pet. He allowed an amused smile to rise to his faceplates, hidden by his facemask. How many suitors his little pet had! The Wrecker mech, Rip-Rage, was one he had seen in her memories while she slept. The Autobot lietenant, Jazz, appeared to have an underlying affection that he beat back in respect for his commander. Then, of course, there was the Prime, who appeared to be hiding his affection from only the Wreckers and from the femme herself.

'_You are rather famous, my cybercat,'_ Soundwave thought to himself, looking back down at the femme in his arms. He was shocked when he heard her systems whirring to life. He smiled to himself. Despite how much she needed the recharge, still, she fought to wake up. With a patience that came from raising Frenzy and Rumble, Soundwave waited as his pet struggled online.

* * *

><p>The first thing I noticed was the blinking warnings on my HUD. Low energon, bent rotary blade, collapsed shoulder joint, lack of recharge. However, I forced the warnings to the side as I focused on overriding my recharge protocols. My optics flickered on, and I grimaced at the harsh light of the sun which was filtering through the open roof of the docking area.<p>

"Moonstrike: supposed to be in recharge," Soundwave's deep voice commented.

"'M not tired. Got things ta do," I mumbled. Soundwave's visor lit up a bit.

"Recharge: vital."

"What's going on?" I asked, looking to my right to see who was there. My optics lit up, and all traces of fatigue faded when I saw Optimus. He was here! "Optimus Prime?" I called out, my weak voice only a whisper. It had the desired effect. Prime froze and looked over at me, and a klik later, he was moving to my side.

"Moonstrike," he breathed as he stopped by my side. "I was worried you got hurt. Obviously, my fears were not unfounded."

"It's just a few scratches," I assured him. He gave me an amused smile.

"Something I would expect your femme creator to say," he noted. I returned his smile.

"Maybe. It's a Wrecker thing."

"Optimus Prime was not the only one who was worried," a familiar voice stated from Soundwave's left. I turned my helm and gave a deal squeal. Optimus took a few steps back to give me a better view.

"Ultra Magnus!" I gasped. "Kup!"

"Yep. It's been a while, femlet," Kup replied. "You've grown quite a bit. No longer a youngling, are ya?" I smiled at him.

"Nope!" I said proudly.

"Good, then you can be punished like an adult," Kup noted, his voice and faceplates growing stern and irrited. I flinched, disturbing the curled up sparkling on my stomach. Megatron gave a tiny squeak as he uncurled a little. Red optics flicked on dimly as he looked at me. He vented heavily as he carefully crawled over my injured arm and settled back down on my chassis with his audio receptor over my spark. He gave one last huffing vent before snuggling close and offlining his optics again. There was utter silence as everybot stared at the mechling in confusion.

"Moonstrike… explain," Ultra Magnus ordered simply. I grimaced at my grand-creator.

"This is my sparkling," I said evasively. Magnus's scowl deepened, and I looked down at Megatron. I didn't want to see his reaction. "Megatron," I finished.

"_WHAT!_" Ultra Magnus exploded, that Wrecker temper showing through. I winced when he woke Megatron again. The black mechling jumped in surprise, sending a wave of pain through my body. Megatron whimpered when he sensed my pain.

"Danni?" he whispered, sending the unfamiliar mechs anxious glances.

"Shh, sparklet. All is well," I murmured, using my uninjured arm to cuddle the mech to my chassis. "They will do you no harm," I assured him. Megatron whimpered again as he cuddled close to my chassis, trying to hide himself there.

"Danni, scared," Megatron whispered.

"I am here, my light. You are safe with me," I whispered back, then I leveled a glare at Ultra Magnus. "How dare you act as such around my sparkling!" I snapped.

"Megatron is a killer, not your sparkling," Ultra Magnus countered.

"If you don't stop accusing _my_ _sparkling_ of such heinous crimes, I will show you _just_ how scary a Wrecker femme is when protecting her creation. A few scratches and a bent blade isn't gonna hold me back," I threatened, tightening my hold on Megatron and allowing a low growl to rise from my vocal processor.

"Speaking of which, just when did you plan to inform the Wrecker community of this upgrade? Or your creators for that matter? Do Arcee and Springer matter at all anymore?" Ultra Magnus demanded.

"I believe that is partly my fault, Magnus. I knew, yet I said nothing," Optimus broke in. Magnus scowled at Prime.

"It is not your job to update the Wrecker community of her upgrades, it is hers. As a Wrecker, it is her _duty_ to inform other Wreckers of big changes like this, _especially_ when it has to do with her turning our greatest enemy into her own sparkling. Is this some sort of game, Moonstrike?" I stared at him flatly.

"Don't speak to her that way!" Chemical broke in, finally having enough of the one-sided argument. Ultra Magnus sent the scientist a dark glare.

"I ought'a kill you where you stand, Decepticon," he growled.

"Action: not advised," Soundwave broke in.

"Of course it isn't! You Decepticons always band together like this!"

"Don't you start on him!" I yelled.

"Don't you yell at me, youngling!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Optimus roared, effectively silencing all arguments. He sent Ultra Magnus a glare for starting the argument, then he sent one to Kup to not interfering and to Ironhide and Ratchet for the same reason. "Now, this is how this is going to work. Jolt is almost here with two patient transport vehicals. Chemical and Moonstrike will be escorted to Ratchet's clinic in those. Ironhide, Ratchet, and I will accompany them. Kup, you and Ultra Magnus will return to where you came from, as you are causing more harm than good. Soundwave, hand Moonstrike and… Megatron over to me, and you are dismissed."

"Opi?" a small voice squeaked. Attention turned to Megatron again, whose optics were locked on Optimus. A grin spread across the mechling's face. "Opiluk!" he squealed happily. Optimus frowned as he looked at me.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," he stated. I shrugged my uninjured shoulder.

"I don't either. I was given the task of raising him by Alpha Trion and Vector Prime when I visited the… Well," I explained. Optimus stepped forward again, and I felt unbridled joy from Megatron's side of the bond.

"Opi, opi, opi!" he chirped, holding an arm out to Optimus. Prime froze, and I felt a new bond joining mine in Megatron's bond system. I received a ghost of horror and confusion, and I looked up to see that those emotions were reflected on Prime's faceplates.

"Optimus?" I asked quietly. His head snapped up, and his optics bore into mine.

"I… have to go. I have to… I have to get used to this," he said uneasily. My sadness joined with Megatron's when Optimus took a step back. Then he took another and another. Megatron gave a high whine and dropped his helm back onto my chassis over my spark, searching for comfort. I allowed my engine to give a low thrumming sound as I watched Optimus transform and retreat, feeling as if he had taken a part of my spark with him.

"Slaggin' idiot. Always finds some way to ruin things for himself," Ratchet mumbled. I was certain nobot else aside from Soundwave and myself heard him.

"Moonstrike, you will have to answer for giving attack orders without permission," Ultra Magnus told me, his voice softer after seeing the pain on my face. I nodded.

"Yes, sir," I replied. The large mech stepped toward Soundwave and let out a growl when the tape deck stepped away from him.

"Moonstrike: does not desire company. Suggestion: allow time to calm down," Soundwave stated. Magnus frowned, but nodded.

"I will visit you at Ratchet's clinic next solar cycle," Magnus promised in a semi-hopeful voice.

"Whatever," I replied numbly. Kup patted Magnus on the shoulder.

"That's why I told ya to control that temper. Let's get back to the community housing system and start setting up her room," Kup proposed. My optics locked with Kup's.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded.

"Do ya honestly think we're going to leave ya unguarded when Shockwave's searching for ya? We've already received word that he left his base to search personally," Kup informed me. I looked away, not wanting to meet his optics.

"Wherever I go, Chemical, Soundwave, and Megatron will be with me," I said with finality, though my voice was small and shaky.

"Megatron, I can understand; however, I will not allow two ex-Decepticon torture specialists into my housing community," Ultra Magnus broke in, glaring at the mentioned mechs.

"And I will not live in a place where the only two mechs who understand my frame build and programming are not allowed to give me annual exams," I shot back.

"Red Alert—" Kup started.

"Has never seen another bot with my circumstances. Xenon is no different," I interrupted. Ultra Magnus scowled. "Perhaps it would be best if I just stayed with Soundwave for the time being. He would keep me safe and could complete my repairs easily," I added, wanting to get out of having to deal with my Wrecker family, all of whom would likely see me as a traitor when they found out what crowd I was hanging around with.

"Very well. Soundwave and Chemical can accompany you. They'll be limited to where they're allowed to be, though," Kup broke in, answering for the younger leader. I looked up at Soundwave for an answer.

"Terms: agreeable. Offer: accepted," Soundwave answered. I nodded at Kup, then paused when Soundwave continued. "Warning: will retaliate if attacked. Warning: will offline any mech that threatens cassettes."

"I can understand that. I'll spread the word. We'll be at Ratchet's clinic next solar cycle to pick you four up," Kup replied. I nodded, then watched as Kup grabbed Ultra Magnus's shoulder harshly and dragged him away. When he thought they were out of hearing distance, Kup started whispering furiously at his successor. Once again, I was sure only Soundwave and I heard him. "Magnus, there are some bots you don't alienate: allies and family. Keep pushing Moon like that, and see what happens, 'cuz I _guarantee _it'll come back and bite ya in the skidplate."

"I have many friends that have been dealt terrible horrors at the hands of those two mechs. And the monster in her arms? Don't even get me started on his crimes," Magnus whispered back. I watched with sadness in my spark as the two Wreckers transformed and sped off.

"Moonstrike: not to blame," Soundwave said suddenly. I shook my helm and nuzzled Megatron's helm.

"They will all think like that, Soundwave. I don't suppose you could take me off-planet, away from all of this," I pleaded. Soundwave shook his helm.

"Negative. Wisest choice: keeping war on planet."

"Yeah. I guess it's for the best," I whispered, focusing on my bond with Megatron.

"Moonstrike, the transportation vehicles are here," Ratchet said suddenly, his voice gruff. The next klik, two closed vehicles that resembled human semi-trucks with closed cargo trailers drove into the docking area. They were rather upscale, using hover tech and being completely insulated from the outside air. Ratchet moved forward and opened the door of the first one as it slowed to a stop. "Chemical," he called. The red and orange mech jolted and scurried forward. He allowed Ratchet to help him into the trailer and watched anxiously as the door closed behind him. "Soundwave, put Moonstrike in the other one. Ironhide, help him get her settled," Ratchet shouted.

"Command: acknowledged," Soundwave replied as he moved to obey. The door was swung open by a reluctant Ironhide. Dim blue lights lined the top of the trailer, and five vents were spaced out evenly of both sides of the trailer. Soundwave laid me down on the padded floor, helping Megatron rearrange himself into a more comfortable position atop my chassis. "Future: bright. Advice: do not worry about Prime. Optimus Prime: noble. Soundwave's assumption: Prime will apologize when he realizes what he did. Soundwave's suggestion: ignore Prime until he comes to apologize in person."

I giggled. I couldn't help it. _Soundwave _giving relationship advice. Then again, his logic seemed sound. Prime would feel bad, then he'd try to contact me.

"We'll see how that works," I answered. Soundwave nodded, then I got to see the most amazing thing ever. Soundwave transformed. My optics widened as they watched subspace technology at its finest. Soundwave's transformation ended when he was no more than four feet tall, ten feet wide, and in the form of a Cybertronian music player.

"See you three when we get there," Ironhide told us. He didn't wait for a reply as he shut the doors. I sighed as I allowed my battered body to relax. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning, that everything was about to get worse. And what scared me more was the fact that Optimus wasn't at my side.

"Moonstrike: recharge. Worry: not helping situation," Soundwave's monotonous voice stated.

"I know," I replied. I looked down at the mechlet on my chassis, watching him as he recharged.

"_Little sparkling, filled with light,_

_Come and play with me tonight._

_We'll run and play and dance and sing._

_We'll learn fly and eat lovely things._

_Little sparkling, filled with love,_

_I will watch you from above._

_And as you fall asleep with me,_

_I'll protect you from everything."_

My optics dimmed as my processor worked through my fears and worries, categorizing them and filing them separately. What was I going to do? With that last thought floating through my mind, I let my optics go dark, and my systems slowed as I fell into a restless recharge.

* * *

><p><strong>Kellie Witwicky:<strong> Yeah, Prowl has a glitch, but I don't think it came from G1. I think it came from a different 'verse, but he does have an obsession with logic.

**XLizardXQueenX: **Yeah, Arcee is a bit scary. It's okay, though. Jazz escaped. :D

**BluePhoenixPrime:** XD The romance is actually really close. Prime has to get past this one last speed bump. I don't think it will be in the next chapter, but it might be… decisions, decisions… ;)

**Rapidfeather:** Oh, that sucks! Killer sleeps at the foot of my bed, but he never steals the covers. O.o And Megatron is adorable.

**Dreamin'BIG:** XD Bet Prime didn't react how you thought he would. Hope ya liked the update!

**Animechick113:** You were close. He noticed him, but he didn't know what he was. Didn't glitch, but he did freak out.

**Noella50881:** Yup, he was in a shock. Very much so…

**Leonixon:** :D Glad you liked the chapter! Soundwave has deviated quite a bit from my planned character sketch, but hey, nobody's complained yet. ;)

**Autobot-Bre:** Megatron is very cute. Wait 'til next chapter. Sparkling cuteness!

**Edward-Elrics-Girl: **XD I've never been able to imagine Ironhide glitching. That's why I put that there. :D And who _doesn't_ enjoy picking on Jazz? He makes it SO easy. XD

**AlexisOptimus:** Soundwave was always my favorite as well. One-mech army right there. Ratchet and Chem are fun to write. XD One's overly grumpy. The other is overly cheerful with a dark tint. :D

**Supergirlprime:** The twists from now on should be few. Maybe. :)

**Erin Primette:** Thanks! :D

**Fanmanbookman:** It's just you. ;) Soundwave just sees her as a pet, a creature for him to protect, no different than Ravage. Notice anything he does with her, one would do with a cat.

**Koinu-sama:** Same as the reviewer above ya. No, Soundwave just sees her as a pet of sorts. This gets explained next chapter, actually, their connection. Notice that everything he does with her, one would do with a cat. He's not a love interest. The last thing I need is for Moon to become a Mary-Sue because of the number of mechs interested in her.

**Angel897:** thanks! Glad ya liked it, and hope you liked this one.

**Luna Prime-Awesomness:** Meggy is so cute! Next chapter, he really acts like his age. Post-sparkling cuteness.

**Vivian Hale:** Yeah, Meggy is gonna have time because of his name and appearance, even though he doesn't remember his past life.. :( It's okay, though. He has a Wrecker femme as a danniluk. ;D

XD I have a friend we call gerbil. We call her Copper, too. XD She my best friend. Love 'er ta death. :)

**Iceshadow911247:** Yay! Jazz is safe, especially since he fled the scene before everybot even got off the jet. XD Aw! That's how my dog acts when we try to put him in his kennel. He hates closed in spaces, poor baby. :(

**A Wiccan:** Muahaha! Then let's get to it! I wonder if Sideswipe would help us or turn us over… I bet Jazz would help us… Cuz I dunno how long it'll take to paint all his armor…

**Jinxed just in Time:** He really is. :D Soundwave is rather loveable in this fic. Good luck with the candy hunt!

**Qualeo:** He'll have a bit of trouble at first, but with a Wrecker mom, his problems will go away pretty quickly. Glad you liked the story! :D

**Shinigami-Sama1: **Neh, Jazz has an interest in her, but until Prime relinquishes his claim on her, he's gonna hang back and just be friends. Teasing and flirting while he is… XD

**Ninja Star Light:** Teehee. Yep! Sounderz sees her as his little pet. X3

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Yeah, Poor Megatron is gonna get a lot of heat for his past, but moon will be there to slag any bot dumb enough to speak up against him. ^-^

Thank you for your compliments. I used my second fic as my "learning to write canon characters" lesson. :) Took me forever, but I finally figured it out.

And, I am sorry, but no. The Sideswipe for President campaign is an inside joke between me and two of my best friends. These two people regularly read my fics and will be rather angry if I give out permission for others to join our inside joke. My apologies, but I would prefer if you not start a campaign for Hound. Especially with all the frickin rules Lynn came up with. Primus, that girl is so slaggin' logical. -.- It took me forever to even get Sideswipe's campaign up and running. It's currently between Sideswipe, Megatron, and Bluestreak. But once again, long story and inside joke. ;)

**L for Love:** Glad you liked it! Next chapter will have more action.

**LNMHYLIAN: **X3 Megs is the best. I have to dig back into my sparkling cache and find some really cute moments for him. ;3

And his life started when he met Moonstrike. He's trained to think like other younglings, though, so universal things are programmed into him, such as his dislike for stingers. :)

* * *

><p>Obviously, most of y'all now know that I was being sarcastic about Prime's first meeting with Megatron. Before all y'all get super pissed at him, understand this: Megatron killed his mate along with many of his friends. Personally, I'd have trouble accepting that mech as my son, especially when it was just suddenly thrust upon me like that. :) Don't worry, guys. He will find the light. And that light will be designated Jazz and Ratchet. I can see his pain now. ^-^<p> 


	29. Life Story and a Shocking Discovery

**READ THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

1) This is my last update for the next two weeks. Yes, I will not be updating for two weeks. You see, I am leaving for New York tomorrow for the week(senior trip). I come back Sunday, then I leave two days later for Nationals in Nourth Carolina. **This is the last update for two weeks.**

2) This chappie is an emotional rollarcoaster. For optimal emotions, listen to "My Immortal" by Evanescence when Chemical says, "Yes. My opiluk was a rather...interesting mech." Kay? ;)

3) Yeah, so y'all know how I'm really nice? Well, that came back to slap me in the face. The creepy boy in my class that everyone avoids that I, in a moment of stupidity, spoke to? Yeah, Friday, he confessed his undying love to me. In the middle of the lunchroom. Loudly. And he's coming to New York. Just kill me now.

4)If you haven't read my Valentine's story "Ways to Marry", it is completed now. So everyone go and read.

5) If you PM me, I'll probably uphold conversations a lot, because I'll be on the bus a lot. :) So PM me, and we'll chat it up. ;)

6) Sorry. You'll see at the end. Sorry.

* * *

><p>Chapter 29<p>

Life story and a shocking discovery

4,512 words

* * *

><p>"Soundwave: capable of performing Moonstrike's repairs," Soundwave said in a tone that <em>might<em> be considered irritated, or maybe even angry. The monotone was only a bit louder than normal, so I could only hazard a guess.

"I don't give a flying frag if you can repair her blindfolded with only one finger! This is _my _medbay, and _I_ perform the repairs here!" Ratchet shot back. He was _very obviously_ angry. One could tell by the red tint in his blue optics and the slight tick in his left optic. The raised voice was a good indicator as well…

"Autobot CMO Ratchet: not educated on cybercat upgrades. Logical solution: allow Soundwave to repair Moonstrike."

"No! She is _my_ patient, not _yours_!"

"Statement: irrelevant. Autobot CMO Ratchet: still unaware of extreme changes in Moonstrike's frame. Allowing Autobot CMO Ratchet to repair without correct knowledge: foolish. Soundwave: not foolish."

"_Foolish?_ I'll show _you_ foolish!" Ratchet roared lifting his wrench threateningly over his helm.

"Run, Soundwave! Save yourself!" Chemical cried dramatically. Ratchet whirled to face the red mech.

"You stay outta this, you cretin!" he snapped, taking a threatening step toward the scientist.

"AH! Soundwave, help! Save me from the insane mech!" Chem cried as he rushed away from the medic, moving to stand on the other side of the berth I was currently situated on.

"_Insane?_" Ratchet roared. Megatron squeaked quietly on my chassis, sending Ratchet anxious glares as he cuddled against my chassis.

"Loud," he muttered to himself and to me. I chuckled at him.

"He has a temper problem and doesn't know how to use his inside voice," I told him. I felt a sharp pain in my helm and yelped as the thrown wrench ricocheted off the side of my helm. "Ow! Hey! Injured femme and sparkling here! Are you _trying_ to kill me?" I snapped.

"Danni loud," Megatron added. I poked his nose with my uninjured hand, gaining a giggle.

"He started it," I stated, pointedly ignoring the throbbing dent on my helm and the dark glare Ratchet sent me. Megatron giggled again at my childish tone before settling down again. I smiled as I watched him grab my hand and cuddle it close. My thumb was promptly placed in his mouth, something that made me grin. A shadow appeared over my body, and I looked up to see Ratchet preparing an intra-linear (For humans, this is an IV. Cybertronians don't have veins, though) needle.

"You will have a few kliks of awareness, then you will go offline. I will be repairing your shoulder joint while Soundwave repairs Ravage. Then, he will check your systems and repair any frame damage as I repair Chemical," the former CMO informed me. I nodded as I watched him press the needle into the primary energon line on my shoulder. He wasn't kidding. I heard Chemical bid me good-cycle and good recharge projections before the lights blurred and disappeared altogether as my systems shut down.

* * *

><p>"Well, that went well," Chemical chirped from his seat on the berth occupied with a lightly growling Ravage. "I was expecting more protests. Moon used to hate IL (intra-linear) lines."<p>

"Recharge: necessary. Last few cycles: extremely stressful for Moonstrike," Soundwave stated.

'Indeed," Ratchet mumbled.

"Neh, she's had worse. She's holding up marvelously," Chem said in pride.

"Real question: How long will he be able to hold up?"

"Touché," Chem said, wilting a little.

"Well, if Prime will stop beating around the slaggin' bush and just tell her that he loves her, she wouldn't have to handle that stress," Ratchet mumbled, obviously not meaning for the two 'Cons to hear.

"Statement: untrue. Moonstrike: unlikely to confide in Optimus Prime," Soundwave contradicted. Ratchet gave him an irritated look.

"And why is that?" he snapped.

"Moonstrike: empathetic. Autobot Leader Optimus Prime: inundated with problems. Moonstrike: hesitant to add to that load."

"Ah…" was the only thing Ratchet could come up with.

"That's okay, though, cuz she has us," Chemical chirped. "She's had us from the very beginning!"

"And when was that? I've heard how Soundwave got involved with this mess, but only a little bit about you. What's your story? Why were you a Decepticon?" Ratchet asked suddenly, glancing up from his work to Chem before looking back down at his work. Luckily, the shattered bits of metal in Moonstrike's shoulder joint hadn't moved around at all, so the repair would be quick and easy, though the recovery would likely be long and painful. Joint replacements usually were.

"Not one you wanna hear," Chemical stated uneasily. Ratchet looked up at him again and saw that the normally chipper mech was glaring down at the floor. Ratchet frowned as he returned to his work. He couldn't deny his curiosity. How did a mech like Chemical end up as a Decepticon torture specialist? The personality just wasn't right. "That's what everybot thinks," Chem stated, as if reading Ratchet's mind, and Ratchet realized that he had spoken his thoughts aloud. "Everybot thinks it's so strange that a mech like me walked down the wrong road." This was spoken in a quiet, self-deprecating tone.

"Do you deny that it seems strange?" Ratchet asked evenly, pointedly staring at the shoulder he was working on. He heard a scoff.

"Of course it's strange," Chem muttered. He glared at the floor some more before he gave an irritated sigh and a quiet "slag this" before looking up at Ratchet, who pointedly ignored his gaze.

"I was the creation of a scientist from Kaon." _That_ got Ratchet's attention. His helm snapped up, and his optics met with Chemical's trouble red ones.

"A Kaonian scientist?" the medic breathed in horror. They were famous around the world. It was no secret that Kaon was where scientists gathered to study live organisms, Cybertronians included. They were well-known for the gruesome dissections and horrible experiments that occurred there. They were highly feared for the rumors, but more so for the known facts, such as the fact that they had no qualms about experimenting on their offspring or bringing their offspring to observe experiments on other Cybertronians.

"Yes. My opiluk was a rather… interesting mech. His deepest joy was finding out how the Cybertronian processor worked and what would happen if he disrupted the workings. I must say, there is nothing more disturbing than watching a mech go insane because your opiluk was playing with his processor. Luckily for me, my danniluk wanted me to stay far away from that. You see, she had plans for me to become a high-ranking scientist in Iacon. I had inherited my opi's intelligence, and she was certain I would reach great heights if given the chance. So she sent me to Iacon the moment she could. Two solar cycles after I left, I felt her bond disappear. I found out my opiluk murdered her for sending me away when he had planned to pass his legacy on to me. He wanted me to start picking up where he was leaving off." Chem went silent for a few kliks. Rage filled him, turning his red optics more pinkish as that rage worked to turn his optics white. When his optics were red again, he continued.

"I worked to stay below the radar, hoping he wouldn't find me. I changed my name from Deathtouch to Chemical when I discovered my aptitude for using them. I grew in my knowledge and became mildly famous in the small technology school I was attending in Praxis. I couldn't afford a school in Iacon. It was then that I received a strange job offer. A lab required a scientific mech to help with an experiment. Of course, I took it without hesitation. I was poor, living off of charity, begging for meals. It wasn't quite what I thought it was, though.

"When I got there, the first thing I discovered was that these mechs had just moved from Kaon and that their main focus was adjusting certain systems of sparklings to turn them into future super soldiers. I was horrified at the knowledge that my past was still coming back to haunt me. I was gonna run away, but then I was taken into the back room where the poor creatures were stored. They were so unhealthy, so unloved. I knew I couldn't turn away from them to leave them to their fate.

"So… I stayed. I stayed, and I contacted a mech I knew could help me. He was a member of the Elite Guard, and I knew he wouldn't turn down the information. As I waited for a response, I cared for the sparklings, nursing them to health and showing them love. There was one designated Bluestreak that I especially loved. A small little bitlet, and he was so quiet! When I discovered what they were doing to him… Well, I was unhappy. I took to carrying him around in my hold, and I relished watching the scientists panic when they finally discovered him missing one cycle. From that moment, I just kept him with me. It was miraculous watching how he changed after a few solar cycles of remaining unconstrained and free of those scientists. The going was difficult. I was still poor, and I had to feed both of us, but it was worth it, even if I had to keep cleaning up after the other sparklings while hiding my own semi-adopted one.

"It was two orns later when everything changed. A mech designated Tap-Out started working there. I knew he was suspicious. He was always staring at things, studying things, and the solar cycle he arrived, sparklings started disappearing. I will admit that this worried me. I mean, they were just disappearing! So I stayed after work one cycle and watched as Tap-Out stole a sparkling while it slept. I was so angry. These sparklings had been through so much, and he had the gall to cause them more strife! You see, I thought he was selling them."

Chem shook his helm with a small smirk as he recalled the memory. He could still feel Bluestreak shifting in his hold, could still remember the squeaks and twitters that he gave more and more of as he spent more time with Chem rather than the scientists. Ratchet, having finished up on Moonstrike's shoulder, moved toward Chemical.

"Come over this way so you can lie down," Ratchet ordered gruffly, gesturing to the empty berth on the other side of Moonstrike's berth. Chem hopped off the berth he was occupying and trotted over to the other berth, dismembered arm in hand. "So what happened next?" Ratchet questioned as he moved to Chem's side and injected pain-killers into his arm when the mech was lying down.

"Well, I followed him. He eventually led me to an Elite Guard shuttle. I found out later that they had been shuttling the sparklings over to an Iaconian medical facility for rehabilitation, then the sparklings were given to couples who did not have the spark strength to produce a sparkling. Once again, though, I discovered that later. At that moment, I decided that if Tap-Out was taking the sparklings to the Elite Guard, I would not interfere. I went back to my borrowed housing unit, fed Bluestreak because we didn't have enough energon for both of us, and we went into recharge.

"A half-orn after that, the Elite Guard stormed into the facility during hours. We were more than surprised when the Guard members put all of us under arrest. I was sedated, and when I woke up, I was in a cell and Bluestreak was no longer in my hold. I panicked, wondering where my sparkling was. The surrogate bond wasn't completely formed, but it was enough that I could feel him bonding with another mech and femme as his surrogate creators. I still do not know who they were, but their combined spark strength was stronger than mine, meaning my incomplete surrogate bond was torn apart. I can still remember the pain, the feeling of… complete loneliness. I think that was the worst part, knowing I was alone in the world again." Chem released a single huffing vent before continuing on, obviously not wanting to dwell on the pain.

"Well, I went through trial, had my Elite Guard friend testify for me, and I got off with only a blurb on my permanent record. I chose to move to Protihex to try at a medical job that wasn't experimenting. That was where I met my sparkmate, Speedsprint, the only other military build there. I still don't know what that femme was thinking, going into the medical field when she was terrified of processing energon. I'll never forget the cycle she passed out when we were giving each other injections. She was so cute when she woke up and asked me why she was on the floor." He gave a fond smile at the memory.

"We worked together so well that it was no surprise when we announced our bonding. I loved her so much… but when Megatron attacked… Autobots swarmed the place, simply shooting anything with red optics. Both Speedsprint and I were from Kaon, so, of course, we were both of a military build." Chem's voice cut off with a strangled warble of inner pain when the story made his spark reach out for its other half. His bond node, though, could not find its match, and as such, it sent his processor a spurt of pain and loss.

"The mech stared her in the optics for a full five point eight three two (5.832) kliks before raising his gun and shooting. Of course, I retaliated. I used my medical knowledge to kill that mech in the quickest way possible, then I turned back to my mate in an attempt to save her life. It was hopeless, I knew. The shot had gone through her chassis, and I could see that it had pierced through her primary energon line to her spark. I could feel her pain as she died. I could hear her last words, the words that would make me fight spark shock. She asked me to defend the innocent. She asked me to keep living and to be happy for her, since she would be watching me from the Well. Then she died. Primus, the pain was terrible."

His optics offlined when his bond node reached out again. He gave a quiet electronic wail as he felt the loss and despair floating through his systems. He searched through his bond nodes to find a way to fight the pain. He gave a happy whir when he found the guardian bond he had formed. The recipient didn't really know about it, but that didn't matter to him. The small tendril of peace she was currently feeling floated from her spark to his. He was glad his ward was only a berth away, or he wouldn't be able to feed off that peace, and he would sink into depression, as he had done many times before she had appeared in his life.

"I didn't keep her promise at first. I was bitter, and I only wanted to cause pain to the mechs that had been the cause of her death. I joined the Decepticons so that the blue-opticed mechs would know that nobot messed with me. I was very good at my job, a fact that I no longer take joy in, though I did back then. I was feared on base, avoided. It was perfect because nobot could tell how utterly devastated and lonely I was all the time. No friends, no family… no mate. Finally, I was transferred to one of the better bases. In fact, Megatron himself had sent for me. At that base, I met Soundwave, the only mech who knew the truth about me. That was only because Megatron had him read the mind of every transfer, the paranoid mech he was. Soundwave and I had a kinship because both of us were lonely and misunderstood with harsh and intimidating reputations. So we became friends, strange as that was. Our conversations were scientific discoveries and ideas for future discoveries. Together, we discovered my hover technology.

"However, Megatron, being who he was, decided to send me to Shockwave when he asked for an adaptable scientific mech. After all, Megatron couldn't very well send Soundwave, his third in command. So I met Shockwave and Moonstrike, and everything else, you learned on the way here." Chem finished with a vent of pent up pain and frustration. There was complete silence in the bay for a full two breems, broken only by the sounds of Ratchet reattaching the cables of Chem's arm and Soundwave working on Moonstrike's flatten audio amplifier. It was a tense silence, one that nobot wanted to break. For a moment, Ratchet wished he hadn't spoken, hadn't asked Chemical to share his story. After all, how did one reply to such a story?

"And what do you want now?" the medic asked quietly, finally finding a way to break that silence. Chem gave him a sideways glance before returning his gaze to the medbay ceiling.

"Redemption. Forgiveness. I want to be able to walk down the street without somebot pointing at me and whispering or moving their creations away from me. I want to be able to look an Autobot in the optic without said Autobot threatening me or glaring at me like I killed their best friend. I want my old life back, my chance at having a future." Chem trailed off, his optics dimming at his loss. Not only had he lost his sparkmate and Bluestreak, but he had lost his chance for a future as a medic with his bitter decisions.

"The war is over. You have that chance," Ratchet stated flatly. Chemical scowled, turning his helm to glare at the medic.

"Surely, you don't believe that. This war will never be over as long as you Autobots refuse to let bygones be bygones and we Decepticons keep blaming you for our losses. This war will never end, and I will _never_ be forgiven. I've spent enough time trying to know that this is no longer a possibility. I don't hate Autobots because they were my enemies. I hate them because they think themselves so noble, but when you really cut away the good deeds and bad deeds in the war, they're _just_ as bad as us."

"Chemical's statement: legitimate," Soundwave added.

"I see," Ratchet said, a hint of anger and sadness in his voice. "I am finished with your repairs, Chemical. I will check back up on you in a few breems. I must speak with Ironhide before he blows up my office."

"Very well. I appreciate the repair," Chemical said flatly. He didn't watch as Ratchet left, and he spoke again only when he heard the door shut. "Take that IL line out of Moonstrike. She deserves to be online to know of our plans."

"Affirmative," Soundwave replied as he followed Chemical's advice. Chem slowly rose into a sitting position, the soreness of his arm blocked by the medications Ratchet had injected him with earlier. "Activating online protocols," Soundwave announced. He returned to the audio amplifier repairs as his patient's systems whirred to life.

* * *

><p>I groaned as my systems sluggishly onlined. Primus, my shoulder slaggin' <em>hurt<em>. I could feel a hand on my injured audio receptor, but luckily, I could feel no pain from it. It wasn't because the pain receptors were offline, but the pain data being sent from my shoulder simply overrode the data from my amplifier.

"Moonstrike: online," Soundwave stated.

"Good!" Chemical chirped, hopping off the berth and moving to the femme's side. "Feeling okay, Moon?"

"Not really," I admitted, wincing at the pain in my shoulder.

"Pain: temporary," Soundwave claimed. I nodded.

"If you're sure," I replied hesitantly.

"Soundwave: always correct. Painkillers: perfect remedy for pain."

"Soundwave, stop using sarcasm. It sounds so weird in your voice."

"Moonstrike: impolite."

"Hey, would you rather it be some annoying mechling than me?"

"Yes."

"Slag you."

"Throwing curses: immature."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why am I not in recharge?" I asked, looking over at Chem. Chem grinned.

"We thought it would be wise to inform you of our next plan," Chem stated. "_You_ are leaving to find a place to stay that Shockwave wouldn't expect to find you at. Soundwave and I are going to speak with Mirage about getting a spy into the Decepticon ranks."

"Hold on, hold on," I ordered, looking back and forth between them. "I'm on my own?" I asked in a more panicked tone.

"Affirmative. Wrecker community: first place Shockwave will search. Medical clinics: second place Shockwave will search."

"Primus," I whispered in horror. "No! I can't let all these bots die because of me!"

"Moonstrike, Shockwave wants to control the Wreckers, and you are currently his only successful Wrecker experiment. If he can hack your processor and find that coding… this planet's as good as dead," Chemical stated. I felt fear and dread mix with that horror.

"No," I whimpered. My attention was grabbed when my comm. link beeped.

"You have to run, Moonstrike. Find somewhere safe. Find—"

"Quiet for a klik," I interrupted as I answered the link.

**::Moonstrike?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Prime? What's wrong with your voice?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Moon, I need to see you. I need to see you now:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Prime, I'm a little busy:: -Moonstrike**

**::I need to see you, Moon. Please:: -Optimus Prime**

**::… Okay… I'll be over in a little bit…:: -Moonstrike**

**::Thank you:: -Optimus Prime**

"I have a place to go," I announced. I didn't expound.

"Good," Chem said after a few kliks of waiting for me to explain further. "Then you leave now before the medic gets back. Good luck, my spark. Have strength and speed."

"I'll be careful," I promised as Soundwave stepped away from me, having finished the repair.

"I will track you down next solar cycle and finish your repairs," Chemical promised. I nodded as I watched Soundwave walk to me with a needle in his hand. Painkillers were injected into my system, numbing the pain a little and only leaving behind a light throbbing. I opened my chest plates and gently placed Megatron in my sparkling hold. He gave a small squeak when I removed my thumb from his mouth, and the thumb was replaced with two of his own fingers as he snuggled up to the wall of my spark chamber, warmed by the gentle heat coming from my spark. The hold's door slid closed and latched, and I smiled at my two pack members.

"Stay safe," I ordered. Chem nodded, and Soundwave didn't respond. I was sure he was nodding mentally, though. Maybe. I hopped up and sprinted out the door. The receptionist gave a cry of alarm, followed by a "Hey! Come back here!". I didn't stop, though. I ignored the throbbing as I sprinted out the door and down the street with only one destination in mind: Prime's housing unit.

* * *

><p>I would say that it was a sense of déjà vu, but the other times, I had an annoying short creature beside me, berating me for my cowardice. This time, it was just me. I stared at the door, wondering why he had called me over. He said he needed to see me, but his voice had sounded strange. I grimaced, hating the "what ifs" my processor was listing out for me. What if Prime was angry? What if he desired to kill Megatron? What if he desired to kill me? <em>What if he wasn't really Optimus, but was Shockwave in disguise?<em>

So, I stood outside the door, staring it down as if that would make something happen. My rotors rose slightly at my anxiety, and each movement reminded me that Soundwave hadn't repaired my bent blade. Or my engine, for that matter.

"Right. I can do this," I told myself, and really, I could. All I had to do was knock or press the buzzer. I mean, how hard was that? Just raise a servo and press. Yet, my servo refused to obey me. Primus, I was so pathetic. "Come on, Moonstrike. Shockwave could be waiting around the corner this very klik." I paused in my vocal pep talk when I realized what I had just said. He wasn't just around the corner… was he? My left optic twitched. What if he was watching me stand there…?

Somehow, my hand moved to press the buzzer. I still don't remember when I moved it, and the second it was moved, I wished I could take it back. However, the deed was done, and Prime was already calling out, "It's unlocked." I twitched and groaned. Why was his voice so strange? I pressed the keypad to open the door, and I squeaked in surprise when I was suddenly yanked inside and hold against a broad chest.

"Why did you take so long?" Prime's deep baritone asked. I shuttered my optics in surprise, then looked up. His optics were intense, and sadness was mixed with resolve in them. I could see the tracks from dried coolant tears, and I wondered what had just happened that caused the Prime to shed tears.

"Prime?" I asked, wiping at the track under his left optic. "What happened?"

"My Elita died," Prime stated.

And then he kissed me.

I was taken aback by the passion and need of the kiss. His arms were wrapped around me, and I could feel my arm and back pulsing in pain, but I ignored it, focusing only on the sensation brought about by his lip components on mine. My spark thrummed louder, which garnered a quiet purr from the sparkling in my hold, and my optics showed brighter. I vented heavily as I returned the kiss, giving him some of the feelings I had been harboring for him lately.

Then I tasted what was on his lips, and I pulled back.

"High grade? Prime, are you overcharged?" He ignored my question as he pulled me down the hallway. As we moved past his office, I saw at least ten empty cubes that had, no doubt, once held high-grade energon.

"I love you, Moonstrike. I don't know when I started loving you, but I do. My spark started laying claims on you, and I want you to be mine alone," he stated as he pulled me along. My spark sped up again.

"Prime, where are you going with this?" I asked hesitantly. My spark sped up a little more when he gently tugged me into his berth room. He spun me around and trapped me against the wall just beside the door with his body. He gave me another mind-numbing kiss. His left arm wound around my waist while the other hand held the back of my helm firmly, keeping my lips pressed firmly against his. I was sufficiently dazed when he pulled back, and my processor cried for more as he pulled away and answered.

"Moonstrike, I love you. Bond with me."

* * *

><p><strong>XLizardXQueen:<strong> Yeah, Prime's retreat wasn't wise. But, I think he made up for it. Sorta. Would'a been worth more if he hadn't been overcharged.

**Iceshadow911247:** XD Yeah, my favorite two to write used to be Ratchet and Sideswipe, but Soundwave and Jazz are slowly taking that spot. Megatron, once he gets enough power to stay awake for long amounts of time, will become more adorable. X3 I already have so many plans. :D And Prime… well… Prime. Nothing really to say about him. Poor mech with such conflicting emotions. :(

**Jinxed just in Time:** O.O _Ten_ bags of candy? That right there is extremely unhealthy… Oh well. Who needs health anyways? Megatron is so cute. :3 Optimus will warm up to him. Probably.

**BluePheonixPrime:** 0.0 I didn't skip you, did I? Primus, if I didn't reply to one of your reviews, I apologize profusely! I don't think I've ever skipped someone before! Sorry, my friend! D: Baby Megs is really cute. You know, I was planning for him to come back as an adult to fight Prime for Moonstrike, but I decided on this last minute, and now, I'm emotionally attached to the cute li'l mechlet. :3

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** XD Well, hiya, and thanks for giving me the feedback! I must take this moment to request that you not cuss in reviews because my little sister reads these, and I don't wanna risk her getting a potty mouth ;)

As for the whole 1st to 3rd person switch, yeah I occasionally do that. Accidentally say "she" instead of "I". Now that I'm just writing on 1st person fics, I've been doing well. Plus I actually take time to reread my fics now before posting. =D

Neheh, yeah. Prime has a few issues. ^^''

**Kellie Witwicky:** … XD Oh, the image.

Optimus: She's mine!

Soundwave: Moonstrike: Soundwave's kitty!

Optimus: NO! MY MOONSTRIKE!

Soundwave: OPTIMUS PRIME: RELEASE HOLD ON SOUNDWAVE'S KITTY!

Do not fret! Soundwave's thinking will be explain. Soon. In, like, two chapters… so like… four weeks. I think. :)

**Bee-roxs98:** Glad to be the first story for you to review in a while ;) And teared up when I read your review because I started thinking of the Opi moment to that song. ;'( So _dramatic!_

I needed him to have one more moment like that, one that would remind him of Elita, because I wanted to give all y'all something you've all been waiting for. It's only a kiss or two, but still.

Ya know, mine's been going back and forth, too. Some days it'll let me log in. Others, it won't. :( Kinda makes me mad.

**Exactlywhat:** Well, here's one way he deals with it. :( High-grade isn't necessarily the answer, but it was his only choice. :( Poor mech's all alone in the world. No bonds. And Imma reply to your PM tomorrow, k? I gotta finish packing. :)

**Edward-Elrics-Girl:** XD I love hearing that my readers were laughing in a public place and getting strange stares! Totally makes my day. And Prime just needs to work on his emotional problems for a while. He just needs a bit of time.

**Angel897:** :D I've always wanted to write a story that people would wanna reread. :) your review totally made my day. :)

**Erin Primette:** XD Wouldn't you prefer Soundwave over Ratchet? XD

**Supergirlprime:** Neh, no mech's perfect. This is Prime's weakness. Yes, before he died, Megs was his brother, but Alpha Trion saw fit to change that. Plus, it avoided a weird situation that would have arisen in the future had I not changed their relationship.

**Fanmanbookman: **XD I'm actually writing a short blurb that consists of their relationship becoming more. I'm hoping to finish it during my trips. :) I hope that will make you happy. :)

**Rapidfeather:** ! That sucks! I just have my bird and dog, so I don't have to worry about that. ^-^

**AlexisOptimus:** XD Yep, Poor Optimus will have a terrible solar cycle the next cycle when Ratchet comes to visit him. Especially since Ratchet will already be pissed for reasons that all y'all will discover later. :)

I will agree that Ratchet is very difficult to write. I usually pit him with someone to yell at and beat up and threaten because that's how I keep his temper obvious.

Yes, she can feel his emotions, but only mildly and only when Megatron is focusing on his opi's emotions. This will make for a lot of… interesting situations. XD

**Autobot-Bre:** :( Yeah, Optimus was mean, but I can't blame him. I'd have trouble accepting the little mech, especially since every time Prime looks at Megatron, his spark searches for Elita's bond, effectively sending pain and loneliness through his systems. :(

**Littledhampir13: **Language, please, darlin'. :) Li'l sis reading.

Megatron is adorable! Prime will accept him in time. Maybe. Probably…

Now to answer your questions… Ultra Magnus is a mech that was the leader of the Wreckers. In some 'verses, Magnus is Optimus's little brother. In this one, he isn't. In my universe, he's just the Wrecker leader. He adopted Arcee in my 'verse, thus making him Moonstrike's grandfather. :)

Yes, the Autobots were on Earth, but left when they defeated Megatron again. That's why it took so long for Shockwave to bring the dead Decepticons back online. He had to go back to Earth and retrieve the offlined bodies. When they won the war, Optimus had all the bots return to Cybertron because he didn't want to impede on the humans any longer. So, he returned to Cybertron and started rebuilding it. As you can tell, the rebuilding process has gone rather well. :)

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** XD Yep. Next chapter! Poor, poor Optimus. Sucks for him. He'll live, though. Most likely. Aw, thanks! I will take any fans I can get! It took me forever to write out the lullaby, because I had to make it rhyme. XD It turned out well, though!

And the relationship between Moon and 'Wave will be explained fairly soon. *nod nod* promise.

**Vivian Hale:** XD Yep. If ya need a hint, Ratchet's gonna show up fairly soon at Prime's housing unit… After discovering that one of his patients is missing… and he has no clue where that patient is… Yep. Prime's luck is gone.

**Ninja Star Light:** Yep! :D Just a bit of a surprise there. ;)

**The D-man:** HOLY SLAG! HOW DID YOU FIND ME? GAH! She didn't! TELL ME SHE DIDN'T! **I WILL** **THROW MY SHOE AT HER**!

…I can explain everything, I swear… =_='' Just give me a sec to come up with something…

* * *

><p>Yeah... Not really a cliffhanger, but i know that all of y'all are like, "You cut it off there! How could you!" ;) I'm a meanie head. :D And y'all have to wait <em>TWO WHOLE WEEKS<em> for another update. ^-^ SUCKS. Well, my friends. Y'all got your wish! After 29 chapters, y'all get your Prime/Moonstrike kiss. Nothing more just yet, but it's still gives ya someting to think about ;P Review! Give me a long one so I have something to read on the bus and plane! If ya haven't read my other stories, go read them and review! Except for _Not of your World._ That one sucks.


	30. Promises, Threats, and Intrusions

1) So I had 4 hours after packing for Nationals, so y'all get a chapter! YAY! So, since I'm short on time, I'm afraid there are no review replies this chapter. I'm sorry. If your review was a question, I request that you ask it again so I can answer it next chapter, which will not likely come this Saturday since i will be performing on a spring mat all day (may I just say that that is the most exciting part of this whole thing? Seeing how amazing my toetouch is on a spring mat?)

2) Pray for me at Nationals! There are only four other teams competeing, so if we lose... well, I hope we aren't pathetic enough to lose... =_=''

3) As I said, written in a hurry, so no replies, no editting, and no rechecking. I figure y'all wouldn't mind a few grammatical errors if it meant getting your fix ;)

4) I think that's all, but this is for Lynnie-Lou. You suck. ;P

5) Nope. I lied. I wanna say that New York was frickin amazing! Chinatown and Wicked (broadway) were both amazing! XD Thanks to all who PMed me, and thank you for being patient when the trip picked up so much that I didn't have time to reply. =_= Sorry 'bout that BTW.

* * *

><p>Chapter 30<p>

Promises, threats, and intrusions

3,566 words

* * *

><p>I was speechless.<p>

I mean, what does what say…? What should one do…?

Primus, he was still staring at me, waiting patiently for my answer. His body still trapped mine against the wall, his vents releasing gentle puffs of warm air at even intervals. I stared into his optics, so blue and bright. I gave a weak chirp of worry.

I didn't know what to say. Primus, he was so overcharged, and that made this even worse. Would he even remember this when the sun rose? What would he say to waking up and finding himself bonded to me?

"Prime…" I began.

"Optimus," he corrected immediately. I gave a short nervous laugh.

"Optimus," I began again, and I paused when he grinned rakishly and gave a pleased rumble at the sound of his designation on my glossa. I resisted the urge to melt against him at the sound. "Optimus," I repeated, not really knowing what else to say.

"Yes, my spark?" he purred. He was _not_ making this any easier! My processor blanked for a klik as I caught his heated gaze.

"O-Optimus," I repeated dumbly, staring into those optics. Were they always so blue? Prime's grin grew, and his optics dimmed a little.

"Since you're having trouble deciding, why don't I resume my role as acting Autobot Commander and decide for you?" he purred seductively.

"Ah!" I squeaked when he plastered his mouth to mine again. I moaned as he moved those mouth plates expertly over mine. Primus, how had he gotten so _good_ at kissing? I vented heavily as I allowed him to press his body fully against mine. Megatron shifted in my hold, and I immediately snapped back to reality. I quickly pulled back.

"Prime, _no,"_ I said firmly. Optimus huffed as he pulled back, frowning as he studied me.

"Optimus," he corrected again.

"_Prime_," I said firmly. "You are overcharged. You won't even remember next cycle."

"Believe me, my spark, I will remember this cycle _very_ _well_," Optimus assured me. I shook my helm.

"Optimus, you are overcharged," I said softly, bringing a hand to cup his cheek. "You don't want me. You want a bond to cover the pain of losing Elita."

"No!" Optimus snapped, stepping away from me. "How could you think that?" he demanded.

"Optimus, who am I? What am I?" I asked gently.

"You are the femme I fell in love with!"

"And the creator of the mech that bears the name of your sparkmate's murderer!" I shot back. Optimus's face fell, and he looked away. My face softened as I sighed.

"You don't want me, Prime," I whispered. "I have too much baggage, too many problems."

"And you do not think I can help you?" Optimus asked, looking me in the optics. I stuttered a bit.

"Optimus, you have your own problems, and you don't need me to—"

"_I said_," Optimus began loudly, cutting me off as he took as step toward me, blocking me against the wall again. "Do you not think I can help you? Am I not strong enough to hold your load as well as my own?" I vented heavily as I looked away, unable to keep his intense gaze. A gentle hand caressed my cheek, and my optics moved back to his.

"I love you, Moonstrike. I _have_ loved you for quite a while. Please, my femme, become mine alone," Optimus pleaded, kneeling down before me on one knee. I stared down at him, a little dazed. Was he… serious…? No, he had to be one of those romantic drunks… It only made sense. I was a science experiment that was currently carrying the resparked murderer of his mate… And I destroyed his library. Why was he so insistent in this?

As I looked at him, I knew without a doubt that there was no way I could tell him "no". His optics, so filled with hope and passion, bore into mine. My right hand was held in both of his, held to his chassis over his spark. What could I say?

"You are Prime, and as leader of Cybertron, you are accustomed to making compromises. Well, here is mine. I will mate with you, but only when you are completely sober. I will not risk you waking up next cycle, disgusted by your decision," I said evenly.

"Thank Primus!" Optimus exclaimed as he rose to his pedes swiftly, pulling me into his arms as he did. I squealed in surprise as he spun me around before kissing me again. "Come. We will seal the bond next solar cycle," he said as he pulled me toward his berth.

"Wait what?" I said quickly. "I thought we were waiting until you were sober!" I questioned as he maneuvered me to stand by the berth.

"Yes, but I will not allow my intended to recharge on my couch," Optimus replied with a deep frown. He lifted me onto the berth effortlessly. "You will recharge by my side as you will be doing for the vorns to come."

"Bu-but what about Mega—" I began.

"He will be fine. If anything, he will enjoy being close to each of his creators," Optimus said, hesitating only momentarily over the word "creators". I fought back a grimace as he pulled himself up onto the berth beside me, lying down easily. "Come, my spark. Make yourself comfortable," Optimus encouraged. I grimaced again as I laid down on my side, facing him. I grimaced at the sharp pain in my back, but Prime didn't notice, luckily.

"Recharge," Optimus breathed, pulling me close. One of his arms moved under my helm to act as a pillow and the other wrapped around my waist. "I will do nothing untoward, my spark."

And I knew he wouldn't. Out of every mech I knew, Optimus _would_ be the only one that seemed sweeter when he was overcharged. I vented in contentment as I snuggled closer to him, soaking up his warmth. My optics offlined as I pressed my helm over his thrumming spark. I fell into recharge with a small smile on my face, lulled to sleep by the gentle sound of his strong spark.

* * *

><p>Ratchet was mad. Well, perhaps mad was an understatement… You see, Ratchet was furious. Livid. Enraged. Fuming. He wanted nothing more than to find Moonstrike and weld her to his medical berth then throw every single one of his wrenches as her. <em>Why<em> was everybot incapable of obeying his orders? Were they stupid? Did they misunderstand? Was he actually speaking Earth English rather than the Iaconian dialect of Cybertronian? Not only had he been worrying about Moonstrike for the last two lunar cycles, but Arcee and Springer had decided to show up while he was yelling at Soundwave and Chemical for allowing her to leave.

May Primus slag Ultra Magnus and Kup for their inability to keep their slaggin mouths closed!

So now, Ratchet was marching to the housing unit of Optimus Prime with four Wreckers and two ex-Decepticons following behind him. Springer and Arcee were looming close behind him, and Kup and Ultra Magnus were trailing behind at a leisurely pace, Chemical and Soundwave following slowly behind them as they all trouped toward the last plausible place that Moonstrike would be. The trip there had been, without a doubt, the most awkward and tense trip that Ratchet had ever experienced. Arcee and Springer both had heavy glares fixed on Ratchet's helm, as if they could fry his CPU simply by their heated glares. Ultra Magnus and Kup, though, obviously got a kick out of watching the CMO squirm under the gazes of two of the most overprotective creators he knew.

"So where are we headed if Moon ain't here?" Kup called out cheerfully. Ratchet turned his helm to send the mech a dark glare.

"I am uncertain. I don't know Moonstrike as well as you do. Perhaps _you_ should choose our next destination," Ratchet bit out.

"Why would she be here?" Arcee demanded as they approached Prime's door.

"Moonstrike and the Prime have a growing relationship…" Ratchet said evasively.

"What _kind_ of relationship?" Springer demanded. Ratchet whirred irritably.

"The kind that normally ends up with a sparkbound pair," Chemical said, deciding to assist the medic. Ratchet _didn't_ appreciate the gesture of help.

"And you introduced them indirectly," Springer stated, looking at the medic. Ratchet scowled.

"I did nothing of the sort. She was bought in a petshop, and as such, I accept no blame for their relationship," Ratchet replied. Springer didn't reply as they stopped in front of Prime's door. Ratchet hesitated as he raised his hand to press the buzzer. He really worried about whether Moonstrike was in there or not. If she wasn't in there, then Optimus would no doubt be wildly worried about her, and if she _was_… well, Ratchet _really_ didn't wanna walk in on something… intimate. He knew about Optimus's desire to bond with her, and Ratchet had no desire to catch his ex-commander in the act.

"Primus, you think too much," Springer muttered, and without further hesitation, he raised his ped and kicked down the door. "I can sense her inside," he growled as he stomped past the front door. Ratchet scowled at the mech as he hurried forward, trying to pass the large mech as he tromped down the hallway towards Prime's room. They turned into Prime's room at the same time and were equally shocked at what they saw. Moonstrike was huddled in a corner, a black ball of metal hugged to her chassis. Optimus was crouching in front of her, facing the door with his battle rifle onlined, charged, and aimed at the intruders. Springer gave a low growl at the implied threat and warning Optimus was giving. "What the slag is going on here, and why the frag are you in a room alone with my creation!" Springer roared. Optimus's battle mask shot over his mouthplates as he crouched lower, prepared to protect his… mate?

Ratchet frowned. Had they bonded? His optics locked with Optimus's, and his tank churned when he realized what was happening. Optimus was protecting his mate, and he would protect that mate, even if it meant killing her mech creator.

* * *

><p>I vented lightly as I felt something shift beside me. I instinctively shifted closer, seeking out heated, and I nuzzled my helm into the warm whatever-it-was as I purred lightly in comfort. A low chuckle rose from the thing I was nuzzling, and I froze when a hand started rubbing the base of my left audio amplifier. My body went limp, and a languid smile rose to my face. How <em>lovely.<em>

"My, my, my. I believe I have found your weak spot, my spark," a deep voice rumbled. Just like that, my whole body was suddenly alert. My optics flashed on and took in my surroundings. I was cuddled up against a large red and blue mech. One of his arms was pillowing my helm while the other rested on my arm and shoulder while the hand attached to it rubbed my audio amplifier. I looked up to identify the mech and found, to my pleasure, that it was Optimus Prime who was currently holding my close.

"Am I still in recharge?" I asked in a light, sleepy tone. Optimus chuckled again.

"Not quite. I do not believe one would have a helmache as bad as mine in a recharge projection," Optimus stated lightly. I noticed then that his optics were heavily dimmed, trying to keep out the light.

"I knew you were overcharged," I mumbled to myself. Optimus chuckled, then winced.

"Yes. I normally don't do that…" Optimus claimed. I grinned.

"I honestly believe you. You were quite sweet, even if you _were_ overcharged," I told him evenly. Optimus grinned as he moved in to claim my lip components.

"I think… we should secure… that bond now," Optimus said in between kisses. I purred as the kisses slowly grew more passionate. Then Megatron shifted in my chassis. I felt my bond with him fill with confusion and contentment. I pulled away from Optimus as I felt my sparkling moving around in the hold. "Megatron?" Optimus asked, his voice holding no emotion. I gave him a sheepish smile and a small nod.

"Would you like to meet your sparkling?" I whispered. Optimus was silent, thinking. I didn't blame him. Megatron had been notorious in his early days. Optimus had dealt with him first hand every time. "He's not the same," I informed Optimus. "He's sweet." There was a brief moment of silence as Optimus deliberated.

"Very well," he finally decided. "I will meet him." I chirped happily as I willed my chest plating open. Optimus's optics widened when he saw what I was doing, and he swiftly turned away. I smiled at this as I opened the door to the sparkling hold and withdrew a drowsy Megatron. Little red optics were dimmed sleepily as he stared at me listlessly. I giggled as bit as I allowed my chest plates to close again. Megatron was placed over my spark as I settled back down into Optimus's warm embrace. He didn't move a cable. A low purr rose from his vocalizer as he snuggled against the plating over my spark.

"Love Danni," he mumbled as his optics dimmed even more. Optimus chuckled.

"Not the morning mech, is he? He never _did_ like mornings, now that I think of it…" Optimus said almost absently. Megatron looked over at Optimus, and he whimpered before curling up on my chest, giving Optimus worried looks. I glanced up at the Prime to see that he looked horrified. "I would _never_ hate you, my mechlet," he asserted, no doubt reading the mechling's small bursts of fear and worry. He didn't want to be rejected again. Optimus raised a servo to Megatron's helm, and he frowned when Megatron cringed. "I will not harm you," Prime said gently as he rubbed small circles into Megatron's helm. Megatron was hesitant at first, but within kliks, he was purring heavily.

"He loves you, Optimus. He knows you are his creator," I said softly. Optimus turned his gaze to me, giving me a smile.

"I never had a sparkling. You will make a marvelous danniluk," he stated as he tapped into Megatron's bond to feel the happiness and contentment the mechling was broadcasting.

"I believe you will make a wonderful opiluk as well, my Prime," I added. Optimus's optics softened.

"Optimus," he corrected. "And I believe I will endeavor to be a wonderful sparkmate as well." I smiled at his suggestive tone. Primus, who knew Optimus could act like this! "Perhaps we should comm. Ratchet to watch over Megatron for the joor, so we can _officially_ become his _bonded_ creators," Optimus suggested. My cooling fans kicked on, and Megatron buzzed irritably as he tried to hear my spark over the extra noise.

"I think that's a bad idea, seeing as I ran away from his medbay just before I got here…"

"… You what?"

"Well, I didn't want to be forced back to the housing community, and I didn't know where else to go, so I came here." I looked up at Optimus. "I was worried you were still mad." Optimus sighed.

"I wasn't angry, Moonstrike. I was dealing with spark loss," Optimus said. I gave him a sad hum.

"Are you sure you want me when—" I didn't get to complete my sentence because the next astrosecond, there was a loud crash from the front of the housing unit. I released a surprised shriek when Optimus suddenly rolled from the berth and yanked me into his arms bridal style. He whirled around, placing me gently in the corner of the room. I whimpered as I curled around a furiously clicking Megatron when I heard the sounds of stomping pedes moving toward our position. Optimus gave a reassuring rumble as he turned to face the door, crouching protectively in front of us. Through Megatron's link with his opiluk, I could feel Optimus's rage and fierce protectiveness as he pulled a large plasma rifle from his back armor. The rifle cocked, and I heard the unmistakable sound of the rifle charging up.

Then they stepped into view. My opiluk was standing tall, forest green armored body taking up almost all of the door frame. His helicopter blades were raised almost parallel to the ground in his agitation, and his blue optics were almost completely red.

"What the slag is going on here, and why the frag are you in a room alone with my creation!" Springer roared. I squeaked in shock and curled up a bit more around Megatron when he released a spurt of fear. Optimus, however, also received that spurt of fear, which sent his protective instincts into overdrive. He knew, subconsciously, who these mechs were; however, his sparkling and intended mate were fearful, and it was his duty as the mech of the family unit to destroy the threat. He released a loud warning growl when the chartreuse medic stepped forward.

"Calm down, Prime," Ratchet stated, giving me a hesitant glance. I gave him a jerky nod.

"O-Optimus," I stuttered. He turned an audio receptor minutely towards me, but his optics remained locked on the trespassers. "My shoulder hurts… and my back…"

"Hnn," he replied. Ratchet took another step forward, and Prime's growl returned.

"Optimus, allow me to ease her pain," Ratchet requested. "I will cause her no harm," he promised.

"Very well," Optimus rumbled. Ratchet sent Springer a glare as he shoved past him to move into the room. The medic immediately moved to my side and scanned me.

"Your rotary engine has melted to some of your internal wires. I'll have to operate," Ratchet informed me. I grimaced.

"Somehow, I knew it was worse than it felt."

"You should be thanking Primus that the sore motor is _all_ you can feel. The damaged circuits underneath are completely offline. You will certainly be in pain when you online from the surgery," Ratchet mumbled.

"No need to get irritable with me," I retorted.

"'No need to get irritable'? Femme, you have caused me far too much trouble in the last joor than should be legal," Ratchet snapped. "Now shut up and let me work. I'll give you a temporary pain-killer until we reach the Wrecker housing community."

"Wait," I ordered, drawing Ratchet's optics from my arm where he was about to insert the needle into my arm. "I'm going back to the housing community?" I asked sadly, frowning up at my opiluk.

"Yes," Springer answered. "To a place where you can be amongst your own kind and _protected_ by your_ own kind_."

"But Optimus and I—"

"Will be saying goodbye," Arcee interrupted, glaring at the mech as she took her spot beside her mate, who had likely told her everything via sparkbond.

"Danni, we are to be sparkbound," I reasoned.

"You will be protected in our housing community, and you will find a Wrecker to mate with, not a mech who simply wants you to cover up a broken bond," Arcee stated darkly. "A respectable mech wouldn't have treated you like trash last solar then tried to bond with you the next."

"Danni, we are in love," I snapped.

"And love lasts over time. You two may bond when you are no longer in danger!" Arcee replied heatedly.

"I'm a big femme, _Arcee_," I said pointedly. "I can make decisions for myself."

"As your acting commander, Moonstrike, I'm afraid I must disagree," Ultra Magnus cut in from behind my two creators.

"Stay out of this, Magnus!" Kup ordered.

"No," Magnus replied, glaring at the older mech. "Moonstrike is already in danger, and bonding to the Prime will only increase that danger."

"I will bond with whomever I choose to bond with!" I snarled.

"You will obey your creators and comman—"

"SILENCE!" Optimus roared. The command was immediately obeyed. Optimus, no longer concerned with destroying the intruders, moved to my side and gathered me into his arms as he growled lowly at Ratchet. His attention shifted briefly to me, wiping away the tears that I hadn't noticed were falling down my cheeks. He nuzzled my helm with his own and gave a comforting rumble. His attention then shifted to Ratchet. "You may sedate her," he stated as he pulled Megatron from my servos and cradled him to his own chassis. Megatron giggled when Optimus rose to his pedes. Opi was so tall!

"Bye-bye, Danni," the exhausted sparkling chirped from Optimus's chassis. Springer and Arcee stiffened.

"Goodbye, my mechlet," I murmured back as Ratchet inserted the tranquilizer into my primary energon line.

"Hi, Opi!" Megatron continued, twittering happily as Optimus slid the sparkling into his large sparkling hold. My optics moved to my creators, and I could see that they were connecting dots. Unfortunately, they were connecting them in the wrong fashion. I watched as my opiluk pulled out his rotary blade.

"I dunno just when you got her sparked, but I'll tell you this," Springer growled as he took a step forward. "You have two kliks to explain when the slag you two became a family unit, and if you can't, well…" He onlined his rotary blades threateningly. "I'll give a two klik head start."

And, of course, that was when the sedative kicked in and knocked my systems completely offline.

* * *

><p>Not really a cliffie, but I gave you A LOT of fluff. Hope that'll keep you for the week. ;)<p>

Review, folks!


	31. Waking Up

1) First off, I would like to thank all y'all for be patient with me and my sporatic updates. I found out the day I got back from Nationals that we had nine weeks tests. Fun, right? So I spent every night cramming for the tests the next day, and i will brag on myself, because I aced every slaggin' one of those fraggin' tests.

2) Speaking of Nationals, we did very well. We got third place. On that same note, understand that we only worked on our routine for two months, we had a girl get an inflamed spleen and another get a sprained ankle a week before nationals, we didn't practice to music until the week before Nationals, and we had two girls leave our squad. I think we did slaggin' awesome. I thought it was hilarious that we were up against fellow hick states: Ohio, Kentucky, and Tenessee. I must say that the two teams that beat us were extremely snooty. :( I dealt with the drama of another girl's boyfriend telling everyone that she was cheating on him (which she wasn't), I dealt with cat fights, and I dealt with discovering that my BFFLE was talking about me behind my back (on top of discovering that my other BF was leaving the state while I was at Nationals. She wasn't the one to inform me of her impending departure). Needless to say, it was stressful, but we survived, and the experience was totally worth it. THanks to all who were rootin' for me. :)

3) I am on Spring Break! Which means more updates. Everyone cheer with me *YAY!*

4) This chapter is kind of a grr chapter. I ain't got a lot of energy to go off of, so this is just a "it's-Staurday-so-I-need-to-update-after-being-gone-for-two-weeks" update. Sorry 'bout that.

5) i decided while watching the beginning of the final battle in TF3 that Optimus Prime would make a marvelous football coach. "Now we take the fight to them! We will kill them all." Okay, a good football coach would likely refrain from threatening the lives of the opposing team, but the enthusiasm is there! =D

6) I just realized that my words get longer and my sentences seem more intelligent the more tired i am. Cool!

7) Because people have been asking. **This is about Soundwave's relationship with Moonstrike**. So. Remember how Optimus was Moonstrike's "master"? Well, he ain't her master anymore. Being that she has cybercat instincts, she must either have a master or an alpha in the pack. At the moment, she has no alpha because she has not bonded. So she still has a master, even though Prime no longer qualifies. So who is this master? Soundwave. Remember that string of submissive slave data? Yes, Chem deleted it, but you can never completely get rid of data. It's kind of like that annoying in-law: even though you never invite them to a party, they always show up... At least, I think that has somethin to do with this... I'm too tired to really know or care. My apologies on that. (I'll probably read this again in eight hours [I'm going wedding shoe shopping with my soon-to-be sister-in-law] and wonder what the slag I was thinking as i wrote it. But hey, 'least y'all get to laugh at me :D Win/win) Chem'll probably explain this more later, and it'll sound more logical because I'll be more lucid when I write it. :)

8) Lastly (because i swear this is the last point of this rather pointless AN) I found an amazing story. If you like Hydrauling110's "Property Of", you'll love **MissMary**'s** "Blind Ambition."** Look her up, and look up **Amelia ** for her story **"All Beginnings". ** Read and be amazed. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter 31<p>

Waking up

2,606 words

* * *

><p>I groaned as my systems slowly booted up. I grimaced at the throbbing pain that immediately made itself known in my shoulder and back. Primus, what <em>hit<em> me? My audio receptors onlined, and a tumult of shouts met conquered my blissful silence. I sucked in air sharply and pressed my audio amplifiers against my helm to block out the noise, but it had little effect.

"We wanna see our femling, fraggit!" the raucous voice of Leadfoot sounded loudly.

"Yeah! You cannae keep the lass 'way fr'm us, ya numpty!" Roadbuster added in angrily.

"We came all the slaggin way from friggin Protihex to see her! So get your aft outta our way before we _blow _it outta our way!" Sandstorm ordered loudly.

"You pack of rabid petro hounds ain't coming anywhere near her until she's sufficiently repaired!" Ratchet snarled in his typical ire.

"Don' pull tha' kinda slag on us, Ratchet! We are'na' idiots!" Roadbuster snapped.

"C'mon, Xen!" Twintwist pleaded.

"Let us in!" Topspin finished for his twin. I heard a snort by my helm.

"I will do no such thing. Ratchet may not be a Wrecker, but he's a CMO, which means he sure as Pit acts like a Wrecker," Xenon's raspy voice stated. I felt a gentle pressure on my back and realized when my body didn't shy away from the painful touch like I wanted it to that there was some sort of paralyzing agent in my systems. I was on my stomach, and somebot was digging around in my back. My vents hitched briefly when flashes of a laboratory rose up in my memory banks. Panic flooded my systems as I fought the flashbacks.

"Moonstrike: calm yourself." Never did I think a monotonous voice would be so welcome. Soundwave's voice broke through my panic, and my systems immediately calmed down. Gentle digits started rubbing the base of my amplifiers. Silence rose in the room, and I'm sure it was both awkward and awed for the Wreckers crowding the medbay's door as they watched the ex-third in command, communications specialist, and torture specialist of the Decepticon army rub my audio amplifier. I, however, didn't think it was awkward at all. Instead, I focused my processor on the amazing feelings gushing into my systems in order to ignore the painful pain from my back.

"Moonstrike: able to feel engine repairs," Soundwave told Xenon.

"Slaggin Pit!" Xenon cursed irritably, while Ratchet snarled a few curses of his own.

"You slaggin told me you were a good medic!" Ratchet snapped.

"I am a slaggin' good medic! I've been 'ere for seven fraggin' vorns, an' I've been doin' a slaggin' good job the whole slaggin' time!"

"What kind of slaggin' medic forgets anesthesia!" Ratchet roared.

"The kind that knows that his patient has a fear of needles!"

"YOU'RE THE SLAGGIN' MEDIC! HER OPINION DOESN'T MATTER WHEN SHE'S IN SURGERY!"

"Who the slag told you that slag?"

"Experience!"

"Wha—"

"Will you two stuff it!" Kup roared as he stomped down the hall. "Primus, I can hear you two Pit-spawns down the fraggin' hall! How the slag is a mech supposed to get his work done!" Kup demanded as he stamped up to the medbay door. The crowd of Wreckers immediately parted down the middle to allow their commander access to the forbidden room. "Move," he ordered before simply shoving past Ratchet and moving to my side.

"How goes it, Soundwave?" Kup asked over my helm as he came to a stop beside Xenon, stading at my helm.

"Wrecker medic Xenon: useless," Soundwave announced.

"That bad, huh? Might I say that Ultra Magnus is a slaggin' fool that acts too much on his emotions?"

"Affirmative. Soundwave: agrees."

"I figured as much. Xenon, what the slag did you screw up?"

"Me? Why do you three keep saying _I_ did something wrong?" Xenon exclaimed.

"Because Soundwave ain't got a reason to lie. What'd ya screw up?"

"He didn't use anesthesia!" Ratchet accused. Kup scowled.

"What the slag did you do that for?" he asked.

"Wrecker medic Xenon: useless," Soundwave interjected.

"Ow," I whimpered when Xenon pulled on a tight cable connected to the engine.

"Slaggit! I've had enough of this! Slag Magnus's orders!" Ratchet snapped, stomping to my side.

"Hey! Only Wreckers can repair—" Xenon started.

"I'm certain Moonstrike will thank me for taking over. Now back off or face my wrench!" Ratchet snarled. Xenon's optics dimmed in confusion.

"Your… wrench…?" he asked. Without further ado, Ratchet pulled a wrench from subspace and chunked it at the unsuspecting medic. "Ow!" he yelped as he stumbled backwards into the stream of Wreckers that were clamoring into the medbay.

"Kup, get those slaggers outta here before I reformat every slaggin' one of them into waste dispensers for the sparkling centers!" Ratchet barked. Kup grinned at the ex-CMO.

"You all heard him, and don' think he won't do it. Slag off and let him work. You lot can see the femme once she's all fixed up," Kup ordered. Grumbles and protests rose through the large crowd, and Kup scowled. "Waiting room, now!" he snapped. The crowd grumbled and scowled as they shuffled from the room.

"Thank you," I whispered as I allowed my audio amplifiers to relax as the racket died down.

"You know I've got your back, sparklet," Kup murmured as he followed Soundwave's example. I released a low purr as both my audio amplifiers were rubbed, one by Soundwave and the other by Kup. "That's what I do best, sweetspark," he added.

"Now," Ratchet began, "Get your aft over here, Wrecker medic, and I'll teach you something new."

"I don't need—"

"You do," Ratchet interrupted. "Now, the first rule is all insecurities no longer matter in here. She is injured, and the short feeling of discomfort given by her aversion to needles is far better than the feeling of pain that comes whenever you tug on a frayed or tightened cable." I vaguely felt Ratchet inject something into my arm, and a fuzzy feeling drifted into my systems. Ratchet continued his lecture to Xenon, but I lost the desire to listen to him. My processor played back my last saved memory files. I smiled dreamily as I relived Optimus asking me to bond. Primus, that was an amazing thought. _Optimus Prime_ wanted to be my sparkmate. I mean, _Optimus Prime_. How did I get so lucky? Sure, I always knew I would bond eventually. I mean, sure femme population had been restored to Cybertron, but we were still outnumbered by mechs three to one. So, I knew that my chances at bonding were extremely high. But _Optimus Prime?_ He was just so… amazing. And his kisses! Primus, he was a good kisser, even when he was overcharged! And then how he had been so quick to defend me… against… my… opiluk…

Panic flooded my systems again. What if Opi had killed him! Everybot knew how overprotective Springer was! What if he had killed Optimus like he threatened? I had offlined before I could see what happened, and Springer had seemed pretty torqued at Prime when Megatron had spoken up. Megatron! Where was Megatron? My spark sped up in worry. These were Wreckers! What if they killed Megatron while they were killing Optimus!

"Spark speeding up. What's happening?" Xenon asked, scanning me. After all, he could see no physical signs of my distress, yet the monitor attached to my spark casing was beeping faster and faster by the passing kliks.

"She's panicking for some reason. Moonstrike, calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen," Ratchet stated. "Soundwave, do something."

"Order: acknowledged. Moonstrike: calm yourself," Soundwave repeated, moving his hand from my amplifier to the base of my helm. "Optimus Prime and sparkling: unharmed." The beeping slowly calmed down.

"Did you just… read her thoughts…?" Xenon asked suspiciously. My vents hitched a bit. Soundwave's rumored ability to read minds had been quite the subject of suspicion in the past.

"Best friends…" I mumbled, not wanting Xenon to cause trouble for the ex-Decepticon. If the other Wreckers knew that Soundwave could read minds, the more paranoid of our kind would likely talk Magnus into kicking him out. I couldn't let him do that. I needed Soundwave and Chemical, which reminded me… "Chem'c'l."

"He's with Prime, talking with Springer and Magnus about your past, the parts we didn't know about," Ratchet said blandly. Good. That meant that Optimus was alive and could defend Chemical when he spoke of his lack of action in my past dealings with him and Shockwave.

"Sp'ng'r mad…"

"Yes. Springer was very angry, but he will be dealt with,' Ratchet stated. "We're all done here." Really? Already? "Xenon, if you could weld this closed, I will comm. Optimus and Magnus and the other morons that are the reason behind why I'm here," Ratchet grumped.

I vaguely noticed the heat in my back, though the anesthetic dulled it down a lot. I wasn't really tired, but I was having trouble focusing on anything. My processor dimly registered that Soundwave was still rubbing the base of my helm, but that was about as much as my processor could register. Heavy footsteps sounded in the background, and a deep voice pulled me slightly from my haze.

"How is she doing?" Optimus's voice questioned. I moved away from Soundwave's hand a little and was delighted when the haze that had taken over my processor cleared minutely. Soundwave humored me by dropped his hand by his side instead of continuing his ministrations.

"All things considered, she's doing very well," Ratchet stated curtly. "How about you?"

"Springer hasn't been able to get me alone yet, and he fears that killing me in front of his leader will reflect badly on him," Optimus replied, sounding far too serious for what he had said. Primus, was my opiluk that angry? "That is the least of my problems, though. Moonstrike's condition is far more important. She will heal without trouble, correct?"

"Yes. Her back will be sore, as will her shoulder, but she will recover splendidly," Ratchet announced.

"I thought I said Xenon was to be the one repairing her," Ultra Magnus growled.

"I've got more power than you here, Magnus," Kup snapped.

"I'm—"

"Be quiet, you half-microchipped fool," Kup interrupted.

"Sil'nce… g'ld'n," I mumbled as I moved my helm to look at my visitors with dimmed optics. Why was it so slaggin' bright? A shadow moved over me, and blue and red armor filled my vision.

"Recharge, my love," Optimus murmured as he knelt down so that we were optic-to-optic. I noticed that he had a rather large dent on the left side of his helm and wondered dumbly where it had come from and when it had happened.

"Meg…tron," I whispered tiredly.

"Megatron is just fine. In fact, he's recharging in my hold as we speak," Optimus assured me.

"Opi's… mad…" I mumbled.

"A little, but it is nothing I cannot handle," Optimus claimed.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't," Optimus replied with a comforting rumble. I smiled as I let my body relax.

"That decides it, then. We'll set you up a room, Prime," Kup all but chirped.

"You have my gratitude, Kup," Optimus replied.

"I figured as much. Now, let's find that scientist of yours. He's found Perceptor, no doubt. Primus forbid they start forming invention plans without supervision," Kup said with a grimace.

"Of course. We will be back, my love," Optimus promised me gently. I vented and nodded. With that said, Optimus rose. He rubbed the base of my amplifier for a klik, and the next, he was gone. I gave a low whine as I turned my helm back to face Soundwave.

"Suggestion: recharge. Soundwave will alert Moonstrike when Optimus Prime returns," the tape deck stated. I huffed weakly, but complied. Recharge sounded marvelous. So without hesitation, I offlined my optics and allowed my systems to shut down.

* * *

><p>"But she's my best friend! You can't keep me out here like this!"<p>

"Yes, I can! As Moonstrike's medic, I can decide who can see her and who can't."

"Opi, make this mech let us in!"

"Streamshot, you know I can't control other bots. Looks like you'll have to figure this one out of your own."

"Opi!"

"Very good, Xenon. You've learned your place."

"Now, that may be taking this apprenticeship a bit too far."

"Yeah! My opi isn't your slave!"

"Stream, I doubt he was implying—"

"Rip-Rage, you're on my side!"

"Um, I just wanna see Moon. I'm not really on anybot's side."

"This boy is intelligent. He may proceed."

"What the slag, medic!"

"It's 'Ratchet,' not 'medic,' runt."

"I'm not a runt, _medic_."

"How long do you think they'll keep this up, Xenon?"

"I don't know, my mechlet. Would you like to visit Moonstrike while your sister verbally assaults the unstoppable force?"

"Sounds like a plan."

My optics onlined blearily. My processor worked to bring up my last saved memory files, but I found that it was having difficulties uploading any of them. Where was I? Why did my back hurt so much? My tail flicked lightly as my systems onlined and ran checks.

"Moon? You doing okay?" a gentle male voice asked. My optics snapped to the side, and I saw a mech in burnt orange armor approaching me.

"Rip-Rage," I breathed. He grinned.

"Always getting yourself hurt. I'll have to start following you around to keep you safe," he said cheerfully as he stopped by my berth.

"I'll get in more trouble that way," I whispered, then I grimaced my vocal processor was only functioning at fifty percent. "You always manage to get me in trouble."

"Yeah, but you have more fun when I'm around," he claimed haughtily with a slag-eating grin. I rolled my optics at him.

"Yeah until Kup or Magnus assign us cleaning duty."

"Yeah, that sucks," Rip-Rage conceded. "So we've been hearing some interesting stories about you. The advancement order over the Wrecker comm. didn't help matters, either. And the new frame… Just what happened since we last spoke?"

I grimaced at the tone of voice he spoke to me in. It wasn't a "I'm-worried-about-you-so-tell-me-to-reassure-me" kind of tone, but a "tell-me-so-that-I-can-do-something-stupid" sort of tone. It was the kind of tone he adopted when he found out Topspin asked me out for energon at Maccadam's three vorns ago. For some reason, the tone of voice put me on edge.

"What are you wanting to know, Rip-Rage?" I demanded flatly. Rip-Rage scowled.

"I wanna know why the slag everybot's talking about you and Prime getting together," he snapped, optics brightening in anger.

"Because Optimus and I _are_ getting together," I replied hotly.

"You can't! You barely even know the Prime, and you've known me forever!" Rip-Rage snarled.

"Well, Optimus asked me to bond with him, and I. Said. Yes." I was sure to put as much sarcasm and priss into those last three words as I could with a quiet voice.

"You two aren't meant for each other," Rip-Rage muttered, almost as if he was talking to himself, then his optics narrowed on me. "I've known you longer, I've helped you through your past trauma. Slag, I know you better than anybot. If there's a bot that's made for you, it's me, and I'll sure as slag prove it to you!" With that, Rip-Rage stomped out of the medbay, taking with him his protesting sister. As they walked away, my amplifiers were perked up in their direction, and I easily heard the words passed from Rip-Rage to Streamshot.

"Optimus Prime is trying to steal Moonstrike from us. We need a plan."

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><p><strong>Littledhampir13:<strong> XD I figured after thirty chapters I could finally throw this in here. Now, though, we get back to the drama and angst. With this latest twist, my latest lesson is on angst, so I have to start throwing some of that in here. And yes, Prime is a happy drunk. Well, more of those romantic drunks. Got that from one of my guy friends. Whenever he's drunk, he gets really, really eloquent. It's actually rather disturbing 0.o

**Vivian Hale:** I had to put some fluff in there. It was so much fun writing Prime like this. His forwardness made me blush X3 He's just so…so…sexy! I swear it's the voice! *swoon*

**Angel897:** Thanks! ;D Figured Optimus and Moon could use some love after all they've been through. :D

**Dreamin'BIG:** LOL. I get that a lot. Apparently my updates cause spontaneous outbursts in my fans ;) And you will get to see Springer and Arcee interact with Optimus next chapter. In fact… we get to see Optimus interact with *ehem* the Wreckers as a whole. Fun, fun, fun. *evil smile*

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** I laughed out loud at your comment about Jazz being a mediator! Poor mech fled the scene as soon as he could. He didn't wanna be in the same area as Prime and Arcee. XD And it was fun when we could talk! :D And he actually got my hint pretty well. :)

**Annebellelennox:** LOL. I can totally see Topspin swinging from a chandelier while Perceptor and Chemical blow up the back room. XD Hilarious. But for your question: Optimus isn't staying there, and they definitely can't follow Optimus around. You will see what happens soon.

**FireReader93:** Yay! I love how everyone loved the fluff. I was worried I wouldn't be good at writing romantic fluff, as this my first experience writing it. Sparkling/creator fluff? Easy pickin's. Romance? A bit harder. Glad it was good.

**Mercedes Wolfcry: **Well, here's a bit more. You shall have even _more_ soon. ;)

**Erin Primette:** Neh. He's allowed to be perverted to his *ehem* future mate ;P

**Random Reader:** Dunno if you've reviewed before (I tend to get different people who review under different names), but if ya haven't, hi! :D I'm Jenn. Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you liked my drunk Prime and sparkling Megatron. This last chapter was my favorite to write (aside from the dialogue in chapter 23 at the very end with Jazz and Moonstrike arguing in the bed cuz that was _soooo_ much fun to write) Springer and Arcee are a bit harder for me to write (you'll see that they don't show up very often in this story), so I was happy that their attitudes were kinda well-received.

**..win:** …? O.o .

**Luna Prime- Awesomeness:** Nope. Not good at all. No worries, though! I can't let Optimus die with poor Megatron in his hold! ;)

**Supergirlprime:** Hmmm. Specify a bit more on your question… Which one of these do you mean (unless you mean something completely different) How long do transformers take to have kids, how long does it take for Moonstrike and Prime to have kids, or how long in the story before Prime gets Moonstrike preggers? Dunno which one ya want me to answer, so be just a bit more specific. ;) Don't wanna ruin my surprises by inadvertently answering the wrong one.

**Kellie Witwicky:** You'll find out next chapter who Springer is having troubles with. Next chapter is Optimus vs. Wreckers.

**BluePhoenixPrime:** Lol. Not unreasonable. Overprotective. ;)

**Annependragon: **Lol. Ya know, anytime I try to make a cliffhanger, it doesn't work, but I keep making accidental cliffies. =_=''

**Dark-dreams-of-love:** XD I fraggin' loved your review! I got that right after my Nationals drama, and it totally made my night! :D

**Shinigami-Sama1:** Lol. Yeah, I can't picture Prime saying "quicky" at all. The voice… *snicker* the voice would make it sound so weird! *snort* Jazz, though, I could totally see him saying that. XD

**Autobot-Bre:** Many thanks. Not much action, but there will be more. The _real_ conflicts start next chapter. :)

**Fanmanbookman:** O.O Lol. And I wasn't even trying! :D (Please don't cuss. My sis reads these ;) And I don't want her saying she found one of these words on here, lest my mother ban me from the site :D)

**TheSpecTraitor:** Lol. Just thought the fluff would carry everyone over. Didn't even realize it was that much of a cliffie. XD

**AlexisOptimus:** Indeed. Poor Prime has it rough. =_= He needs a hug… Well, on the bright side, he has "meeting the in-laws" checked off his to do list =D

**Exactlywhat: **The fluff was fun to write, though this is the first time I've written romantic fluff. Glad it worked out right. :)

**Ampdi:** Lol. I didn't even mean for it to be a cliffhanger. I mean, it was a two hour write. XD Overcharged Prime was fun to write. I figured he'd be the sweet, romantic drunk. He doesn't have the programming to be obnoxious. And come outta that corner! What if the corner spiders eat you! 0.o

**Kbomb234:** Thanks for your feedback! :D Next chapter is _really_ gonna be a trial for Optimus. Prime vs. Wreckers: Showdown in the Rec Room. Dun dun dun!

**Iceshadow911247:** =D I wanted to surprise y'all. I had extra time so I chose to write a little something for y'all. :)

**King Sabre Tooth:** Thanks for the review. Hope this satisfies you for now ;)

**Jazaline Lupis: **Thank you for taking the time to review :) I'm glad that I could make ya smile. Laughter _is_ the best medicine, after all ;)

**A Wiccan:** 'Oh slag" indeed.

**Dawn Racer: **XD Mine, too. First date started with my daddy cleaning his gun and telling the boy to have me back by ten. :D Mortifying, but hilarious.

**Hummergrey:** XD Glad you liked! You know this is my first time ever actually writing romantic fluff. So glad I did it right! I swear it's the voice. Optimus has a slaggin' swoon-worthy voice. And his possessive and protective instincts I'm gonna write into him? *sigh* He's a dreamboat. *dreamy smile*

XD teehee. I flashed back because I wanted to write more fluff. :3 This may work in y'all's favor, cuz I'm definitely addicted to writing fluff. X3

I seriously cannot wait to introduce her to the twins. It will be a few more chapters in, but it will definitely happen. So excited!

Ya know, I didn't mean to make it a cliffie? I just had to go to bed, so I cut it off there. XD

**L for Love:** Everytime I go to write your username, I wanna put "L for Looking". I have no idea why, but I do. Just thought you'd wanna know. Free piece of info and all that jazz. Thanks for the review! :)

**LynzRules2012:** I don't think you've ever reviewed before. (If you have… whoops) Welcome to my fic! Glad you like it, cuz I certainly aim ta please! :D I'm Jenn, a.k.a. Lunar Mist and ten thousand other nicknames. Pleased ta know ya, and hope you enjoy the fic. Thanks for your review. :)

**Hannah**: Eh heh heh heh heh. Uhmm. Yep, don't really write kinky. Even this was kinda pushing it. I don't write stuff like that because it kinda goes against my beliefs. :) I'm a conservative Christian, so I try not to write anything too edgy. Know what I mean? :) Thanks for the review, though, and I'll push my limits just for you. :)

**Lynnie-Lou:** Oh, Lynnie-Lou-Who. Yeah. They told me everything. Gigs up. And your silence isn't very reassuring. Dylan was obviously right. :) {- That smile's sarcastic. Jus' so ya know.


	32. With Friends Like You

1) I apologize for the length of this chapter, or lack thereof. This week, the slag kind of hit the fan in every possible manner. Very, very bad week. Bad weeks aside, though, I am trying to work on my other stories. I really, _really_ need to finish _A Little Burst of Sunlight_. At this point, I have completely nixed my plans to write a sequel to that. Six months ago, I was all for that sequel. Now? Not so much. i have too much to do. At the end of next month, i plan on uploading the beginning of my Jazz/OC/Sunstreaker fic. Sooo yeah.

2)There are no reply reviews because I just kinda wanted to get this one up and move on with my life. I've gotten to the point where I have to outline my chapters because I'm on the edge of Writer's Block Canyon, and I really don't wanna fall off that cliff. That is a cliff that few return from, and what the slag am I saying? 0.o Yeah, shutting up now.

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><p>Chapter 32<p>

With Friends Like You

1,738 words

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><p>I grunted irritably as I shuffled alongside Optimus. I had been out of the medbay for one solar cycle, and it was a great reprieve after being holed up in there for two lunar cycles and a solar cycle. This didn't mean getting out made life any easier, though. Every step I took sent a shot of pain down my spinal strut, so I had taken to shuffling along and barely lifting my feet up. Optimus, being the amazing mech he was, hadn't left my side since I had escaped the medbay. I had yet to talk to him about what had happened in his berth room after Ratchet had sedated me, but I knew I would be able to ask him as soon as we were alone.<p>

Sadly, though, I had a feeling that was going to be a while.

"Optimus, I think you should be careful with that hand," Springer said in a warning voice. I glanced up to my right at the mech supporting me. Optimus had his left arm around my waist, holding most of my weight up, and the other arm, the one farthest from me, held my right hand, rubbing gentle circles onto it. Neither of his hands were even near being in a compromising area.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Springer," Optimus replied. I glanced over at my opiluk, who was standing to my left.

"Get off his case, Opi," I snapped. Springer narrowed his optics.

"A femme of honor—"

"—Can do whatever she wishes with her sparkmate. Don't start with me," I interrupted irritably.

"You two are not mated yet," Arcee stated.

"'_Yet'_ being the key word there," I mumbled. I heard Optimus sigh.

"They are your creators, and as such, they hold the right to be overprotective," Optimus whispered to me.

"But there's a difference between overprotective and micromanaging. You realize that they probably have a Wrecker mech that they want me paired off with, right?" I whispered back.

"That does not matter, though, does it, seeing as you are to be _my_ mate very soon," Optimus murmured. I grinned up at him.

"And just how soon is 'very soon'?" I replied. Optimus gave a low rumble.

"As soon as you have recovered completely from that surgery."

"Hmm. No sooner?" I asked with a pout. Optimus chuckled.

"No sooner. I will not have my mate injured because she was recovering from a surgery when we mated," Optimus said with a smirk. Then he grimaced. "Megatron is online," he said in a strained voice. I chuckled at him. He still felt awkward whenever Megatron moved around in his sparkling hold. I smiled when I started receiving feelings of love and excitement from Megatron. The mechling enjoyed being in Optimus's hold more than mine. He was definitely an opi's mech. There wasn't even a doubt about that.

The sound of yelling and raucous laughter announced that we had arrived at our destination. The Wrecker's recreation room was by far the most dangerous place to be in the Wrecker Community. This was the place where Wreckers got overcharged, had fist fights and fire fights, sang loud drinking songs, and generally hung out. War stories were swapped, gossip was spread, and relationships were built. Many a Wrecker fell in love in the rec room. The set-up was easily maneuverable. Booths jutted out of the side walls with tables in between them to make talking easier. The rest of the floor-space was taken up by square tables that had the space for four bots, even though that space was normally taken up by at least ten bots. Our kind didn't really care about personal space. It was generally established that if you were in the rec room, it was for one of four reasons: to get overcharged, to find a bot to get together with for the lunar cycles, to gossip, or to spend time with one's fellow obnoxious Wreckers. However, even if a bot went in for any of the last three reasons, they ended up getting overcharged anyways. If you just wanted to refuel, you could do that in your personal quarters.

When we stepped into the room, a hush immediately went over the crowd. Half the booths were filled, and every table had at least six Wreckers sitting at it. Everybot was staring at Optimus and I. A few glanced back at Springer and Arcee, who were trailing behind us, but my intended and I were the main attraction.

"Hi, guys," I greeted with a weak smile. That did the trick. Sorta. Wreckers surged to their pedes and rushed to my side.

"Moonstrike, how are you feeling?"

"I should slag the slagger that did this to you!"

"We'll all slag the slagger that did this to you. Who did this to you?"

"Don't worry, sweetspark. We're all here for you!"

The yell of "Somebot get a chair!" broke the crowd apart. Bots scattered like glitchmice as some moved to get me a chair and some moved to get me a cube of energon. This resulted in many fights, each person wanting to help in some way. In all honesty, I was kind of flattered that they all cared so much. I mean, who could say that they had a whole contingent of Wreckers that would do anything they could for you?

"Primus, you have them wrapped around your digits," Springer mumbled as he directed us to a table. I grinned. Growing up as a Wrecker femling had its perks. Optimus helped me sit down first before taking a chair himself with a grimace.

"Would you care to handle the little ball of energy?" Optimus asked me. I grinned and nodded. I hadn't seen Megatron for a planetary cycle. My spark reached out for his little one, and I received a burst of joy in reply. He may be an opi's mech, but he loved his danni, too. I watched as Optimus parted his chest armor and moved his hand to the door that closed off his sparkling hold from the rest of the world. A small, excited squeal was heard, and a klik later, Optimus deposited a black bundle of wires and metal into my arms.

"Danni!" Megatron cheered as he nuzzled his helm to my chassis. I was in no way oblivious to the staring optics or the slight glares Megatron and Optimus were receiving or the whisperings and speculations floating about. The Wreckers around me had, no doubt, connected the dots in the same fashion as my creators, and as such, they had arrived at the same wrong conclusions. I smiled as I turned slightly in my seat to face my clan.

"This is my sparkling, Megatron, bestowed upon me by Vector Prime himself," I announced. Megatron squeaked happily at the sound of his designation and turned to look at what I was looking at. He blinked in surprise when he saw thousands of blue optics staring at him. Little red optics widened before their owner gave a squeak of fear and burrowed his helm back into my chassis. I scowled at the crowd. I was about to speak when a familiar voice beat me to it.

"_Vector _Prime? Are you sure you're not just covering for _another_ Prime?" Rip-Rage's voice called out. My scowl deepened.

"Are you accusing me of interfacing before bonding?" I snapped. Rip-Rage shrugged as he moved forward.

"I don't think you'd do it on purpose. Maybe you had no say in the matter," he added nonchalantly. Optimus's engine roared furiously.

"You dare accuse me of forcing a femme!" Optimus demanded.

"I can't think of any other way a sparkling would show up, calling you 'opi' and Moon 'danni'. Nothing else adds up," Rip-Rage stated. "Pit, you even named the sparkling after your dearly departed brother."

"How dare you!' I exclaimed. "Megatron is _my_ sparkling, and you _will_ speak of him with respect!"

"Tell me, Moonstrike, if your story is true… If that really _is_ Megatron given a second chance… what's to keep him from attacking us again when he's old enough?"

"A creator's love!" I snapped.

"From you?" Rip-Rage asked incredulously. My optics narrowed, and a growl rose up in my throat as my propellers rose in a physical show of my irritation. My fangs elongated, as did my claws, and spikes jutted out from my tail. Subconsciously, I realized that I had put Megatron in my hold in preparation for the coming fight.

"_Yes,_" I said on a growl. "From me."

"Moonstrike, Megatron was a killer, who murdered in cold energon. If there's even a chance of him regressing, you should eliminate the chance while you still can. After all, you wouldn't want him to have to start fighting your precious Optimus again."

I didn't realize I had lunged for him until I felt Optimus's strong arms yank me back while I was in mid-leap. Optimus grunted as I fought against his arms, trying to get to the bot that had not only insulted my family unit, but had threatened my sparkling. The coding of a protective creator mixed in with the coding of a pissed off femme creator cybercat, and the result was a femme that wanted to completely obliterate the offending bot. Yells and shouts rose from the surroundings Wreckers, many of which had moved forward to either scold Rip-Rage or help hold me back as I attempted to kill him.

"Freedom: cease attack." The monotonous voice rose over the din, and immediately, I went still. Optimus's arms tightened marginally over my waist as I relaxed back into him, pain suddenly becoming a very big part of my processor. The room went quiet as Soundwave moved inside, followed closely by Chemical and Perceptor.

"Fascinating!" Perceptor exclaimed. "Your bond with her reached far enough that her ire was noticed and easily traced by you! And you hold the power to command her!" Then he frowned. "Then the data string was not completely destroyed."

"Affirmative. Suggestion: remove object of Moonstrike's irritation away. Autobot Leader Optimus Prime: Moonstrike's presence required in Wrecker Perceptor's laboratory."

"Understood. Come, Moonstrike. Let's see what happened to that data string," Optimus murmured as he pulled me away. I didn't struggle against him, but I also didn't move my optics from the object of my ire. Rip-Rage frowned as he watched me walk away, and I couldn't help but wonder why he looked so sad.

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><p>Yup. That's all she wrote. =_= I need a vacation. You know, one of the ones that completely shut you off from the stress-filled life that you deal with day-to-day? Anybot wanna donate money to send Lunar Mist on a cruise? I'll pay you to babysit Sarah... No? Meh. It was worth a try. Reviews, my friends. I'm a Christian, so fellow Christians, pray for me! Pretty please!<p> 


	33. Who Needs Enemies

1) Thanks for the prayers. If there's one thing that can be said about me, I bounce back very easily. I think Monday will likely suck because it's the first day back to school since my... discovery. So, we'll see how this works.

2) *evil laughter* You'll understand, you poor, innocent readers. You know not what I have done! *more evil laughter*

3) I know I have a few new readers, so I'll ge ahead and say this again for all y'all new fans :) My update days are Saturdays. Sundays if the weekend is filled. :)

4) Guess what guys! This story is officially over 100k words without ANs and review replies! Yay!

5) Oh, yeah. There's been about fifteen reviews in the last five chapters via review button and pm of people asking this, so let me clarify. The Wreckers don't take well to Prime wanting to bond with Moonstrike for specific reasons. First and foremost is that Wreckers only bond with other Wreckers, kinda like how Seekers on bond with other Seekers. This is because (1) Wreckers don't take well to outsiders. In all the Wrecker history I've looked through, I haven't found a single Wrecker that mated with a non-Wrecker. I mean, they are always described as jerks that only can stand each other, so why would they want outsiders in their big, happy family? On top of that, (2) in my 'verse, Wreckers have extra programming that makes them more reckless, makes them more "rough around the edges", and all that jazz. In addition to all of this, she was a Wreckling raised during a time of war, meaning that the protective instincts of the other Wreckers were already through the roof. Then add in the little fact that she came in with a sparkling that basically called Optimus "daddy". Don't know about y'all, but my father would murder the guy that got me knocked-up before marriage.

Your last reason will spoil this chapter, so it's at the bottom. :) Happy readings.

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><p>Chapter 33<p>

...Who needs enemies?

4,714 words

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><p>Jazz got a short shot of déjà vu as he walked into the crowded metro station. People shuffled around, hurrying to get home, rushing to make it to work, or moving to wherever they planned to spend their off-cycles. Jazz hummed as he pondered which one of these he could be considered doing. Going home was certainly out of the question. Slag, he hadn't been to his housing unit in orns. He had fled from the Wreckers' wrath only to go straight to the local pub. Primus, he hoped Maccadam showed back up soon to revive his old oil house, because there wasn't another mech in Iacon that knew how to mix a cube like he could, and Jazz was getting tired of the second-hand slag.<p>

No, Jazz was fairly certain his current destination hovered somewhere between the second and the third options. He was headed to work, in a matter of speaking, but it was most certainly on his off-cycle. He was sifting through the crowd like smoke, something he had picked up on a long time ago. What could he say? Old habits die hard. He tended to piss off quite a few bots by accidentally sneaking up behind them. His optics scanned the wall he was walking beside, searching the smooth metal as he walked. Those optics suddenly lit up when he saw the specific panel he was searching for. It jutted out just an inch more than the other ones. Jazz grinned as he stopped by it. He slammed his fist against it, the sound of metal of metal being lost in the din that rose from the hustling crowds. The panel gave a hiss as it moved back in line with the other panels, and a small panel zipped out vertically from the crack between the panel he hit and the panel to the left of it. Jazz ignored the looks of the mechs and femmes that walked past him as he placed an identification chip in the end of the vertical panel. He waited a few kliks as the chip was scanned before pulling the chip back out and returning it to subspace. The panel hissed again as it retreated back a few inches and slid to the right, revealing a hidden entrance. With a relaxed swagger that he had long perfected, Jazz walked into the short hallway, moving evenly toward the door at the end of the hall. He ignored the hiss of the panel/door closing behind him as he opened the door.

"Yo, mah main mechs! The Jazz-man is here, an' the party. Can. Begin," Jazz said in a haughty voice with a saucy grin on his faceplates.

"You're late," Ironhide snapped. Jazz simply shrugged as he made his way to the table in the center of the otherwise empty room. Four chairs were placed around the table, three of which were occupied by Mirage, Prowl, and Ironhide. Jazz sauntered to the table, spun the one empty chair around so the back faced the table, then straddled the back of the chair, propping his arms on the backrest as he settled himself down. He ignored the optic roll from Ironhide and the scowl from Mirage. He didn't ignore the mumbling, though.

"Now, now, 'Ragey. We all know I ain't a 'uncouth younlin' impers'nat'r,' righ'? Le's keep the convuhsat'n puh-lite," Jazz chided with a slag-eating grin. Mirage followed Ironhide's example in rolling his optics.

"This is why _I_ am the politician, and _you_ are not," Mirage stated. Jazz's grin grew.

"I see ya didn' get rid a' tha' accent," Jazz observed. Mirage smirked.

"No. Many a femme have fallen for this accent," he replied. The sound of Prowl clearing his vocal processor brought all attention to the current situation.

"Wha'sup, Prowler?" Jazz asked ready to get the show on the road. Prowl scowled at the nickname.

"That's _Prowl_. _Commander_ Prowl to _you_," Prowl snapped. He pulled a hologenerator from his subspace and placed it flat on the table. It was a small rectangular box with multiple buttons on it and a small readout screen. He pressed a button, and the table became a flat map of Cybertron while the walls around them held statistics and numbers that only Prowl currently knew the meaning of.

"Now," Prowl began, rising to his pedes, "I just sent this information to Prime in a databurst, and he is likely looking through it at this very moment. As such, I don't think we will have to await his inevitable arrival at the Autobot HQ for very long.

"At this time—" He walked to the far wall and pointed at a time that had passed two joors ago. "—a large number of unidentified shuttles took off from Uraya, and at this time—" He pointed to a time that was approximately a breem before the four ex-Autobots started their clandestine meeting. "—those shuttles landed in Khalkon and completely decimated whatever repairs we had started. Luckily, Khalkon wasn't very inhabited. The only population consisted of a group of Wreckers and a few repair and construction workers. There were a few casualties in the repair and construction workers. The Wreckers, however, remained unscathed and fought off the attackers."

"What information do you have on the rogues?" Ironhide questioned, leaning forward a bit in his chair to cross his arms on the table. Prowl grimaced.

"So far, not a lot. We know that these attackers are ex-Decepticons, most of which were verifiably killed in the War of the Allspark. If not in that war, then in the Space Bridge Battle on Earth. We know that it is headed by Shockwave, and we know that he is interested in the Wrecker femme, Moonstrike. Why he is interested is unknown."

"Now, _tha's_ not comple'ly true," Jazz interjected with a grim expression. All attention moved to him as he continued. "Moon was 'is experiment a few vorns back. 'E installed s'me slave data into 'er processor, an' 'e 'as s'me weird obsession with 'er. Chem said Shockwave reprogrammed 'er ta think she was 'is kid. 'E didn' change 'er back 'til she broke s'me a' 'is stuff in the lab. Chem said 'e still 'ad a fascination with 'er, even after. By wha' Chem tol' meh on the way back fr'm Protihex, Moon 'as been workin' fo' Shockwave evuh since she came back ta Iacon. 'Paren'ly Chem 'as been workin' there as well due ta 'stenuatin' circ'mstances."

"Chem… you mean Chemical? As in the torture specialist Chemical?" Mirage asked with narrowed optics.

"See the name rings a bell," Jazz noted.

"Indeed. That blackguard was the one who interrogated Red Alert!"

"Yeah, well, 'e's sorry 'bout tha'. Grudges aside, though, what are the chances a' gettin' word to the Wreckers b'fo'e the 'cons get to 'em?"

"My sources say that Prime is currently at the Iaconian Wrecker Housing Community," Prowl stated with a deep frown, as if he were affronted by the mere suggestion of the _Prime_ living with _Wreckers_.

"I know this likely has-a nothing to do with our meeting, but why is our Prime residing with Wreckers?" Mirage asked. Jazz grinned as he broke in to answer.

"Well, tha's 'cuz 'e's in love wi' one a' the Wreckuh femmes." Everybot stared at Jazz. This was news to them. Well, Ironhide didn't appear too surprised. Mirage gave a string of Italian curses at the implications. He didn't know who this femme was, but he certainly didn't want _another_ Wrecker in the meeting room. Magnus was enough.

"When did this 'appen?" Mirage demanded with a scowl.

"Whoa, whoa, 'Rage. Calm down there. Prime 'as the righ' ta bond wi' whoevuh 'e wan's ta. Don' be gettin' all self-righteous on meh," Jazz replied with a glower. Mirage looked away, standing down to his superior officer as was habit. "Now, wha's our next move?"

"That is still undecided. I have intel saying that the few civilians that have heard about this attack are vocally siding with the Decepticons, simply because they don't want to fight yet they don't want to get killed should their city-state be attacked," Prowl stated, seating himself in his chair again.

"So we need to nip this in the bud before it gets outta hand," Ironhide surmised. Prowl nodded.

"The miners are particularly edgy. I think everybot is waiting for Megatron to emerge."

"Well, that ain't gonna happen. I 'ave it on good a'thority tha' ol' Megsy can't cause any trouble," Jazz said with a weak smile. All attention turned to him again, and the smile turned to a grimace. "I can't expound. You three jus' 'ave to a'cept mah statement. We got this unduh c'ntrol."

" 'We' being… who?" Prowl prodded. Jazz grinned.

"None a' yo'r b's'ness," Jazz chirped. "Now, if tha's all, I gotta go. Got this ta do, bots ta see, femmes ta meet." Jazz stood from his chair and left the room without another word. Three pairs of optics stared at the door as it closed.

"I hate it when he does that," Mirage remarked.

"Me, too, but you can't live with him, and believe me, killing him is half impossible, and he'll never stay dead," Prowl claimed as he offlined the hologenerator and subspaced it. "I'll see if I can find anything I can add to this. Hopefully, we can end this war before it begins."

"Then the best of luck to you. I'll snoop around as well," Mirage replied.

"I'll start pulling out all my old guns. I can refurbish them just in case this gets bad," Ironhide added with a wide excited grin.

"Very well. Until all are one," Prowl replied.

"'Til all are one," the other two echoed, and the three bots vacated the room.

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><p>"Soooo… can you get rid of it?" Perceptor scowled from where he stood behind the chair I was seated on, not at all enjoying my constant questions, especially since he didn't really have the answers. The plating on the crown of my helm was completely removed, allowing Perceptor access to my processor. Soundwave stood off to the side with Chemical and Optimus, none of which were making a sound. They had spent the last four breems examining the string of data that had been previously thought to be deleted. Obviously, that was not so.<p>

"I'm afraid not. The slavery data string appears to have been integrated into her core programming due to the unnatural switch between cybercat and regular cybertronian programming. I'm afraid this may be something she has to deal with for the rest of her life," Perceptor said darkly.

"So how do we keep this from becoming dangerous for her?" Optimus asked with a frown. Perceptor vented heavily.

"Right now, I believe she is relatively safe. The only Decepticon leadership she has encountered has been Soundwave and Megatron. Soundwave does not wish to abuse his power over her, as he apparently sees her as a protégé of sorts due to Ravage's accidental adoption during their time as cybercats together. Her creator bond with Megatron overrides the slavery bond, which protects her from him should he rebel at any time against her." I released a growl at that, but it was ignored. "As for Shockwave, I am uncertain whether or not he is included in this data string. He was the leader of the Decepticon forces on Cybertron; however, that role was not officially realized. One would assume that he would include himself as it is his experiment, but at the moment, I simply don't know."

"I see," Optimus replied with a grim look. "And how—" he broke off suddenly as his optics dimmed. He was receiving something. I frowned when a worried look conquered his features. His optics lit up again, and he moved to my side.

"I'm sorry, my love, but I must depart. I received a databurst from Prowl. There has been an attack in Khalkon, and I am needed elsewhere," he stated as he ran a hand down my cheek plating. "Stay safe, and please refrain from going anywhere without Chem or Soundwave. I will return for you." I nodded.

"Goodbye, my love," I said sadly. Optimus gave me a sad smile.

"Goodbye. For now," he added as an afterthought. He nodded at the three mechs in the room, and without waiting, he walked out. Perceptor hummed as he manually replaced the plating on my helm.

"Leader Optimus Prime: adept fighter and tactician. Deduced outcome: Leader Optimus Prime will protect Moonstrike and keep her out of harm," Soundwave stated suddenly. I smiled, knowing that he had either read my emotions of my mind.

"I know. It doesn't make it any easier, though," I replied. All attention turned to the door when it hissed open. I had a second of hope that it was Optimus returning, but that hope faded when Streamshot sashayed into the room. I grinned at her as I rose to my pedes. "Hey, Stream," I greeted.

"Hiya, femme. Long time, no see. I swear you have no time for me anymore, not with all these important mechs stealing you away," Stream chirped, though the glint in her optics said that she was feeling a bit more irritated than she let on. I grinned, trying to ignore that glint.

"Yeah, I have absolutely no life anymore. Everybot wants my attention and stuff," I replied easily. Streamshot's grin turned bitter.

"Yep, and when you bond with Prime, you'll have even less time for us," she whined, tugging on my arm to make it seem like she was being playful. I tried to ignore the anger and sadness in her optics.

"That's not true," I claimed as we left the room. "I'll still come by."

"But not as often. Primus, we used to hang out so much that people thought we were siblings," Streamshot stated. I frowned and stopped, turning to face my friend. Streamshot stopped as well, copying my movements.

"Stream, what's this really about?" I asked frankly. Streamshot huffed and leveled a scowl at me.

"You shouldn't bond with Prime. You're supposed to bond with a Wrecker mech," she snapped. "We had a mech picked out, too!" I returned her scowl and felt my tail spiking in response to my rising ire.

"Since when did you have the right to direct my life and decisions?" I retorted.

"When I became your best friend! I know you so well and—"

"I'm fairly certain I know myself better than you do," I interrupted.

"But you don't, otherwise you wouldn't be making this decision! We've seen how you act, and you two get along _so_ well, and you're gonna ruin _everything_ with a bond with Optimus!" she all but howled at me.

"Primus, when you get over this temper tantrum, come talk to me!" I snapped, turning on my heel and walking away from her.

"Moon, you're my best friend," Streamshot stated as she jogged to catch up with me. "And as such, I have to watch out for you!"

"Streamshot, last I checked, I was a big bot and totally capable of making my own decisions as well as dealing with their outcomes," I snarled.

"Yeah, and look where that landed you—hanging out with Decepticon torture specialists and as a slave to Soundwave! Mentioning the weird frame upgrades and the sparkling is needless!" Streamshot replied hotly. I scowled.

"I believe the severity of my situation is for _me_ to judge, not _you_! Chem and Soundwave have proven themselves far more times than you can even imagine, and Megatron? Megatron is my _life_. That's something you will not comprehend until you have a sparkling yourself," I hissed. Streamshot's plating flared out a bit in her rage.

"I'm not going to stand aside and watch you ruin your life by this strange obsession with danger!"

"You have no right to interfere!"

"I have every right, especially since you so obviously want to end up _dead_!"

"If I end up dead, it will be of my own cause, but it is my prerogative to choose my life!"

"You aren't going die like that! You aren't going to die by making some stupid choice or by choosing to trust some ex-Decepticons! Primus knows your parents can't trust you, seeing as you are so obviously glitched!"

There was a beat of silence after her words. A look of complete shock was on her face, and her mouth opened a closed as if she was searching for words. My face, however, held a dark look, somewhere between pain and anger, I'm sure. My visor flicked over my optics as I took a step back.

"Moon," Streamshot whispered, reaching out a hand. I shook my helm.

"Frag you. Fraggin' slag you," I replied as I turned away.

"Moon, I didn't mean that," Streamshot claimed as she jogged to my side. I gave a cat-like roar as I struck out at her, claws extended in an obvious statement. She leapt back, dodging the attack with an expression of hurt. "Moon," she whispered sadly.

"Get lost!" I snarled. "I can see where my loyalties with you lie." I turned and walked away, nothing but hurt flowing through my spark.

**::Explain situation:: -Soundwave**

**::Streamshot is shooting accusations at me, but don't stress it. I'm a big bot, and I can deal with my own problems:: -Moonstrike **

**::Acknowledged:: -Soundwave**

I huffed a breath as I moved toward my personal quarters. I didn't want to tell Soundwave about Streamshot. He _would_ phrase his statement as an order. Slagger. Megatron moved around inside my chassis, quietly chirping his desire to get out. I smiled and gently removed him from the hold.

"Danni," he chirped, tapping a hand against my chassis. I smiled at him.

"Hello, my spark," I replied. Megatron twittered happily at me as he looked around, completely entranced by the large and new surroundings. I grinned as I turned him around in my grasp. My left hand rested on his stomach, ensuring that his back remained against my chassis, while my right hand rested under his aft, holding him in a sitting position.

"Danni, Danni!" he chirped pointing excitedly at a Wrecker that was twice my height as we passed each other. I didn't miss the mech's look of amusement.

"That's Broadside," I informed the little mechling.

"Sigh!" Megatron twittered. I smiled as I turned right at the next intersection of halls, then I froze.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," I mumbled. I debated turning around and going back the way I came, but the mech had already noticed me.

"Moonstrike!" he called out, jogging to my side. "Hey, Moon."

"Hi, Rip-Rage," I said flatly. "What do you want?" He frowned at my harsh greeting.

"I needed to talk to you. It's kind of private," he replied.

"Which is why you were standing in front of my door?" I questioned with a raised optic ridge. He nodded. I gave a sigh as I moved back down the hall to my room, Rip-Rage following close behind me. I entered the passcode in the keypad and debated closing and locking the sliding door before he could get in here. Sadly, though, I didn't want to take the chance of the door cutting off a part of his body, so allowed him entrance.

"Danni?" Megatron questioned. "Opi?"

"Opi's busy right now, sweetspark. He'll be by later, my spark," I stated, sending the mechling feelings of love and assurance through our bond. I didn't miss Rip-Rage's look of disdain as he gazed at Megatron. The door closed and automatic lights flicked on.

"So," I began, turning to Rip-Rage, "what can I do for you?"

"You can drop this ridiculous claim from Prime."

"Dear Primus, not you too! What is _with_ you and your sister? Am I suddenly unable to think for myself?" I questioned, hopping onto my berth and settling Megatron on the berth beside me. He wriggled around a bit until he was and his hand and knees. He gazed around the room before settling his gaze on me.

"Danni," he called out. I smiled as ran a finger down his back strut. He giggled at the feeling. "Danni," he repeated happily.

"Moonstrike, I don't think you understand. Stream and I… we want you to stay here forever…" We stared at each other for a few kliks before I finally spoke.

"I cannot even begin to tell you how creepy that sounds." Rip-Rage grinned as he sat down on the other side of me.

"I know. Moon…" Rage sighed before continuing. "There's something I've never… told you… and I still don't wanna tell you, but Streamshot said that I should considering the circumstances…" I felt dread sink in as he turned to me with determined optics.

"Moonstrike, when we first met, I found out just how brave you were, how treasurable you were… Moonstrike… I guess I should just throw this out there." He took both of my hands in his, ignoring the angry chirps that rose from the sparkling on my other side. "I love you."

Silence.

No.

No, this wasn't happening.

Primus wouldn't alienate both of my best friends from me in one cycle. This wasn't happening.

"What?" I asked dumbly.

"I'm in love with you," he reiterated. I removed my hands from his.

"I'm _not_ in love with you," I retorted. I rose to my feet and started pacing. "Primus, Rage, you just heard my claims to Optimus. I wasn't kidding when I said I was gonna bond with him!"

"Yes, but you could always back out," he said in a soothing voice.

"I don't want to!"

"Moonstrike, you don't know—"

"Stop trying to tell me what I know and don't know!" I cried. "I am perfectly capable of thinking for myself."

"But we get along so well, and you always talked to me. You spoke to me when you were in the Decepticon brig!" Rip-rage argued.

"_I speak to everyone! Hello doesn't mean an open invitation!_" I exclaimed. Rip-Rage scowled.

"You love me! Why else would you have made sure Xenon adopted us?" Rip-Rage demanded.

"Because I didn't want to see a cornered mech killed! Especially when I had just become best friends with his sister!"

"And she would be your sister by bonding!"

"I don't care! My love is not up for negotiation!"

"It should be! I deserve it!"

"You _deserve_ my love? When the slag did that happen?" I demanded. I paused when Megatron gave a small whine, and I gently scooped him up into my arms and cradled him to my chassis, allowing him to listen to my spark.

"When I helped save you!"

"That wasn't you; that was Kup, Ultra Magnus, Springer, and Whirl. As I recalled, I was the one saving you from my own Wrecker kin!"

"That's beside the point! We're supposed to be talking about your change in choice!"

"I'm not changing my choice," I replied with a frown. "Rip-Rage, I don't love you. I never have, and I never will. I'm sorry. Really, I am, but I love Optimus. You've always been one of my best friends, but… I don't like you like that."

"I see…" he murmured. "Then I'll see you later," he stated, standing.

"I suppose…" I replied uneasily. I watched as he walked out of the room, and for some reason, I felt like I had made the wrong choice, but what could I have done? I sighed heavily as I stood and exited the room that now felt far too small. I moved swiftly and silently through the halls, looking for the one mech that could help me feel better, make me feel like I wasn't making some terrible decision. I came to his office quickly enough, and I gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," the gruff voice ordered. I opened the door and moved into the office. "Aw, sweetspark, who do I need to slag this time?"

"Kup," I whimpered. "I'm scared I'm making a mistake."

"Aw, c'm'ere, femme," the old Wrecker ordered, holding out his arms for me. I shuffled forward and allowed him to pull me down into his lap as if I were a sparkling again. Megatron squeaked as I settled him between my chassis and Kup's, surprised by the sound of the extra spark . "Now, you tell me what's got you cryin'?" I rubbed my cheek and realized that I was, indeed, crying. Though my optics were hidden, the tears dripped down my cheek plating, betraying my emotions.

"I dunno if bonding with Prime is good. Everybot's mad at me," I said quietly, forcing back the tears. The scene in the rec room was still strong in my mind. My fellow Wreckers had scowled at the Prime, angry with his audacity at asking for the hand of a Wrecker femme. And my two best friends… Kup made an angry noise in his throat.

"Nobot 'as the right to tell ya what _you_ should do. I've lived a long time, and I've spent that time learning quite a few hard lessons. One of those is that ya can't let the opinions of other bots command your actions," Kup stated gruffly. "If you love Prime, then you should bond with him, and if that torques off all these Wreckers, then let them be torqued off. Ignore them, and don't speak to them again. They'll come and apologize. Wreckers aren't made to ignore one of their own. We're a big family unit, really, and like small, _non_-_Wrecker _family units, we fight sometimes." I giggled at that, and Kup joined with a few chuckles of his own.

"However, you only have one life, and if you wanna bond with Prime, bond with him. You don't wanna look back on your life and regret refusing him." I smiled gently as I rested my helm on his shoulder. "Now, since you seem to have some free time, and I want a reason to avoid my work, why don't ya formally introduce our newest Wreckling to me, and while you're at it, you can give me a play-by-play of why and how Vector Prime gave 'im to ya."

* * *

><p>Shockwave scowled as he watched one of his drones drag away the captured repair worker. The little slagger had given him absolutey no information. It wasn't because he didn't want to. No, that mech wanted with all his spark to give Shockwave information. It was just that the mech didn't have the information Shockwave <em>needed<em>, and as such, Shockwave had seen fit to hand the mech over to Scalpel. He had walked into the lab to see the mech dead on the ground, so naturally, he had one of his drones clean up the mess. With a sigh, he headed back up to his office. He had quite a bit of work to do. He still had to discover where his little sparkling slave was, then he had to plan his attack. He figured that if he kept searching through Wrecker communities, he would eventually find her or somebot that would lead him to her.

"Shockwave, sir," a Seeker called out. Shockwave fought back another scowl as he turned to face the mech. "There is a Wrecker mech in your office that wants to give you some information." That surprised Shockwave a little, but he kept his faceplates even.

"Very well," he replied with a nod. He ignored the Seeker's salute as he moved back in the direction of his office. As promised, a burnt orange mech with white and black accents was standing before his desk. The beastly variation of the Autobot insignia that all Wreckers wore stuck out brightly on his shoulder plates. His optics were hard and angry. Those optics locked on Shockwave's form as he moved around his desk to look at the mech. "Greetings." The mech didn't waste any time.

"My designation is Rip-Rage. I have information, and you have the means to fulfill my desires." Shockwave smiled darkly.

"And those desires are…?"

"I want Optimus Prime dead, and I want Moonstrike to be completely in love with me. If you can do this, I'll tell you everything I know." The mech pushed a datapad across the desk.

"Very well, Wrecker." He didn't miss the way the mech winced. "You have a deal."

* * *

><p><strong>Blazestar of Shadowclan:<strong> Hello, and thank you for your feedback :D I've heard that a lot. I really fell in love with Chem's character as well. I was actually planning to make him a hardcore Decepticon, then I started writing him and I was like, "Humming. Scientist humming… Cute!" so I further transformed him into our mulit-layer puppy-esque Chemical. :)

**King Sabre Tooth:** Glad you like! And thanks! :)

**Dreamin'BIG:** XD When I get writer's block, I start new stories. =_= Which is why I have, like, seven unfinished stories. I'm trying very hard to stick with this one til the end. I actually really like Moonstrike's character as well (I might be biased, though ;) ), and the main reason that I actually chose to make this an OP/OC is because I needed to work on the personality of the noble leader type. Nice, right? :)

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness: **0.0 Oh no! Hope you're not in too much pain! I've never broken or fractured anything big like that. I break my toes a lot, and I jam my fingers really bad, but I don't ever break or fracture anything. Thanks for the compliments! :)

**Erin Primette:** Thanks. :D

**Leonixon:** :D Hey, leo! *super hug glomp* Mah sistuh fr'm anothuh mistuh! Hiya! No worries. I have no job either. =_='' Wreckers _are_ a humongous family. Wouldn't it be nice to have that sort of camaraderie (weirdest spelled word ever)? And thanks for the prayers.

**Iceshadow911247:** Teehee. Still think rip-Rage is gonna get killed *insert evil smile* Sadly, I don't think the cruise company will accept Monopoly money. :(

Aw, poor kitty! We had extreme thunder last night, and my dog tried to jump up on the couch, and he totally missed and ended up crashing headfirst into the couch. It was so hilarious! XD

**AlexisOptimus:** Because he is a none-Wrecker trying to bond with a Wrecker. In all of the Wrecker history, I can't find a single Wrecker that mated a non-Wrecker. And Prime kinda learned not to pick fights with Wreckers a long time ago… Tactically, it's wiser to let Moon fight this battle ;)

**Supergirlprime:** I'll take what ya can give me. ;)

**Autobot-Bre:** Yep. Rage has a few problems. You probably noticed that this chapter.

**Angel897:** Thanks! Glad you liked it! =D

**Random Reader:** My goal is for you to now completely hate Rip-Rage. Is my goal a success?

**BluePheonixPrime:** XD Read the reply just above your's ^^^^^

**Supreme Pheonix King:** Thanks. :)

**Fanmanbookman:** *evil grin* I'm kinda leaving that for certain others that you won't meet for a while.

**Kellie Witwicky:** Thanks! I can certainly use the prayers.

**Darth Krande:** Thanks. The little details make it fun. :) Short chapters do bug me though. -.-

* * *

><p>Your last reason? Every single Wrecker in that Housing Community totally and completely believed that Moonstrike would bond with Rip-Rage.<p>

So how many of y'all hate Rip-Rage now? *evil smile* Now you know what I was laughing about at the top of the page. Don't ya hate it when your BFFLEs stab you in the back and abandon you? *evil laugh* For all y'all readers, this is why I don't write when I'm sad. You see, my emotions always find their way into my stories. IN this, my ire and feelings of betrayal ended up here. :) Love how that works, right? XD

Well, review! =D


	34. A Femme Protects her Castle

1) Sorry this is late. There are multiple reasons for this. (1) I had three bridal showers this weekend. (2) I began my drawnout plan of revenge on Sunday by calling in reinforcements. (3) I was rather angry the last week, and the last thing I needed was to accidentally kill Moonstrike (somehow I think y'all would be angry if I did that) (4) I helped my brother move out. So I was rather busy last weekend. Then I kiinda fell into the pit where those writers that don't feel like writing hide. You know what I mean. :)

2) Sadly, it may be another two weeks before I update again. Yeah, sorry. This weekend is the bachelorette party and prom. Then next weekend, the in-laws come in from Colorado, and my brother gets married next weekend. So... yeah.

3) Oh, hey! I got in the play. We're doing "Who's Dying to be a Millionair," and my part is Sally Dean Riviera. =D

4) Yup. First spider experience of the year. Thirty minutes ago, I was sitting on my couch with my blanket wrapped around me, seeing as my mother keeps the house at the freezing-cold temperature of 65 degrees, as I typed up review replies. Then a spider shot across my blanket. Yup. Now I won't be touching that couch or the blanket for a week. Curse you, arachniphobia. T^T

5) Umm... I was happy during the first part of this... then I was pissy... so yeah. The change in my attitude is painfully obvious in this one.

6) It was five o'clock a.m. when I wrote the replies, so most of them are not very long. Due to my spider incident, I dd not take my morning nap, so there should be no grammatical errors in this one. Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 34<p>

A Femme Protects her Castle

6,671 words

* * *

><p>I hummed gently as I made the long trek to the medbay. Megatron was whistling away in my servos, easily mimicking the tune to our melody. Ever since Kup had given the little mech that sweetened energon goodie, the little ex-warlord was happier than Hot Rod was when he got his new paintjob*. Despite the bubbly bundle of joy in my arms, I was rather dreading my trip to Ratchet. He needed to check on my repairs to see how fast they were healing. I knew without even running a systems check what he was going to say. I knew because every step still sent sharp pains up my back strut. My shoulder had stopped sending data to my pain receptors after I had offlined them, but eliminating the pain in my back simply wasn't that easy. The weight of my propellers didn't help my case at all, either.<p>

I turned at the appropriate door, and with a hiss, said door allowed me admittance into the Pit itself. I saw no sign of Pitmaster Ratchet, but I knew that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't there. It just meant he was hiding in the office, waiting to leap into action. I eased myself onto a berth, carefully holding onto Megatron, and I waited for the medic to make himself known. I hadn't even been waiting a klik when Ratchet strode out of the office. Xenon followed behind him, holding a medical datapad in front of him.

"I see you chose to grace us with your presence today," Ratchet greeted. I gave him a sideways glance.

"Yeah. The internal battle was rather tough to win. I almost turned around with every step I took. When I got to the door, I was tempted to just walk past," I said with a grin. Ratchet smirked and rolled his optics as he stopped in front of me.

"And how are we feeling this cycle?" he questioned. I frowned at this question, which caused Ratchet to frown as well.

"Actually, not very good. My back hurts so bad, and I offlined my pain receptors to my shoulder a while back."

"Hm… I see. Well, put the bratling away and lay down. I'll take a look at that back first," Ratchet ordered. I gave a short nod and allowed my chest plating to open slightly. Megatron squeaked when I moved him to my hold, obviously not wanting to be inside a closed area. I gently slid him into the hold, despite his angry squeaks and immediately closed off the hold to keep him from coming back out. I ignored the feel of him kicking the hold door and instead heightened the sound of my spark. Without hesitation, he scooted back to listen to the calming thrum, and I moved onto my stomach. Pain receptors were sent offline as Ratchet started removing plating from my back. I nearly jumped when my comm. link beeped.

**::I have missed you:: -Optimus Prime**

A thrill rushed through my body, and my spark jumped with joy at the unexpected message. Megatron trilled happily at the enhanced sound of my spark.

**::Your lacking presence has definitely made for a duller cycle, as well:: -Moonstrike**

**::I suppose you have been kept busy in my absence:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Heh. Not really. Rip-Rage and Streamshot both kinda… well… they just aren't hanging out with me right now:: -Moonstrike**

**::… Explain what is bothering you:: -Optimus Prime**

**::It's nothing. It was just an argument, and I'll get—one klik:: -Moonstrike**

I cut myself off when Ratchet started speaking. His voice, surprisingly, was rather upbeat. I had been expecting a rather grim voice.

"The repairs on your engine had been pulling a receptor wire taut. That was why you were in such pain when you walked. I have replaced that wire and pinned it out of the way of the repaired engine. Sit up, and I will check your shoulder." I nodded as I obeyed. I rose to a sitting position and turned on the berth so that my legs were hanging off the berth and my body was facing Ratchet. He ran a scanner over my shoulder.

**::Sorry. I'm in the medbay for a checkup:: -Moonstrike**

**::Ah. I can understand why that takes precedence over this conversation. Ratchet can be rather terrifying if he believes he's being ignored:: -Optimus Prime**

**::You don't have to tell me twice. Was he like this when you first met him?:: -Moonstrike**

**::He has always been like this. When I first met him, he was a politician:: -Optimus Prime**

**::**_**Really**_**? This **_**is**_** interesting information:: -Moonstrike**

**::Don't bother trying to use it against him. Sideswipe already tried and failed:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Pity. It would be nice to get something to blackmail Ratchet with. Oh, he's talking again. One moment:: -Moonstrike**

"It should heal just fine if you don't strain it too much," he was saying. "You just need to let the joint rest and let the repairs set in."

"Okay. Is that all?" I asked. Ratchet gave a curt nod.

"Come back if the pain in your shoulder gets worse or the pain in your back comes back," he ordered griuffly.

"'Kay. Thanks, Ratch," I said with a grin. Ratchet mumbled something under his breath as I hopped off the berth and flitted from the room, still on the high that came from having a conversation with Optimus.

**::I'm back, and I just left the medbay:: -Moonstrike**

**::And all is well?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Yep. Little sore, but Ratchet said that that should go away soon:: -Moonstrike**

**::I see. Have you spoken with your creators yet?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Yes, and they still want to string you up and use you for target practice:: -Moonstrike**

**::Then I will be sure to avoid them when I return:: -Optimus Prime**

**::You're coming back? When?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Excited, are we?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Maybe a little:: -Moonstrike**

**::Well, I will not be back for another solar cycle at least. There is talk of eminent attack, and I must be able to send orders and observe Shockwave's battle plan without hindrance:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I understand:: -Moonstrike**

**::You are lying, but I will let it pass. Where is your next destination? I have received a few strange comms from Topspin, so I would suggest you avoid the room with the high grade:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Believe me, Prime, I learned that lesson a **_**long**_** time ago. I'm heading to the wash racks. I still have energon underneath some of my armor. Feels gross:: -Moonstrike**

**::Hmm... I wish I was there. Wait, that didn't come out right! I'm in a meeting, and I don't want to be here. I want to be there, with you. I swear, I didn't mean it like that:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I know. Calm down, my love. Soon, it won't matter what you say to me, seeing as it's not unusual to see a bonded pair walk into a private wash rack together:: -Moonstrike ** I was sure to send a burst of longing and a little desire through the link, wanting to see how he reacted. The sound of a quiet rev filled the comm, and I resisted the urge to laugh. It was so much fun teasing him like this.

**::Hmm… Well, I will allow you to wash in peace. Prowl and Ironhide are glaring at me for ignoring them:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Hm? Are you in a meeting or something?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Or something. I must bid you farewell, my love. Stay safe, and may your recharge be pleasant:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Don't stress it. Wreckers are trained to protect themselves. I'm safe here. Farewell, my spark. Pleasant recharge:: -Moonstrike**

The link cut off just as I was walking into the wash racks. I paused only a klik as I stepped through the doorway before continuing into the wash racks. The Wrecker wash racks were separated into four areas. When one first walked in, they arrived at a toweling area, where one could polish their armor when they finished washing. To the right was a community washing area. The washing area had a warmed pool of bubbling cleaning solvent and four jet-powered showers. The community washing area was where a mech or femme went to allow their cables to loosen in the warm water, and the showers were used when a mech or femme simply wanted to clean dust off their outer armor.

To the left of the polishing area was a drying area. Hot air blasted down from the walls and ceiling, easily drying a mech's armor. The room was split evenly into two sections, one of which was where any mech or femme could dry their armor, and the other section was for when a mech or femme needed to dry their protoform, and this section had stalls installed that were closed off and allowed privacy.

I, however, walked straight ahead to the back door of the polishing room. The back room was a private washing area where mechs and femmes could go into one of the four sectioned off parts of the room to wash their protoform. Each of the stalls was big enough to fit about fifteen mechs, and that space was used to accommodate a large pool of heated solvent, a small pool to soak armor, and a shower in case a mech or femme simply wants to wash and go. At the back of each room was a door that led to a specific stall in the drying room.

I strode into the first open door in the private washing area. I grinned at the warm caress of the steam that washed over my body when I stepped into the room. I closed the door behind me and locked it before moving to the warmed pool. I prepared to ease myself down into the pool when a knock on my door made me pause.

"Moon?" Streamshot's hesitant voice called out. "Can we talk when you're done?"

I scowled a bit as I considered my options. I could ignore her and pretend it wasn't me in the room, I could open the door and say no, or I could agree. I gave a heavy sigh. I just couldn't be mean.

And Optimus said compassion wasn't a weakness. Liar.

With a groan, I walked back to the door and swung it open. Streamshot jumped back to avoid being hit, then fixed me with an anxious look. "Make it fast. I need to clean my protoform before I recharge," I snapped. Streamshot nodded, then cocked her helm.

"If we go to the community racks, I'll clean your blade joints," she offered. I studied her carefully, looking for any sign of deception or trickery.

"Okay… but I'll have to come back here before I leave," I said slowly. I frowned when her face lit up.

"Deal! Primus, it's nice that you're talking to me again. It's so fraggin' weird to not talk to you!" Streamshot gushed as she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the community pool. There were three other Wreckers in the pool when we walked in, and two more underneath the shower nozzles. The three femmes at the other side of the pool waved at Streamshot and me as we sat ourselves in the warmed solvent. I lifted my chassis above the liquid momentarily as I retrieved Megatron from my hold, then settled back down so that the solution came half-way up my chest plating. Megatron squeaked curiously as I settled him on my chassis and by extension, half-submerged in the solvent. He stared at the liquid that was currently covering up the lower half of his body, then he looked back up at me, then back down at the liquid. He squeaked then turned his gaze back to me as if to say "What is this stuff and why is it touching me?" I chuckled at him and rubbed my nose against his.

"So this is Megatron? He's kinda cute," Streamshot said absently, studying me and Megatron with open interest.

"Of course he is. He's my sparkling," I said proudly.

"Yeah. So… about earlier… I was outta line, and I didn't mean to say that. It's just… you're getting bonded…" She trailed off at this. I waited for her to continue, and when she didn't I said, "Well, hopefully, you haven't been expecting me to be single forever."

"No, no, no!" She said quickly. "I just thought you'd become my sister… literally…"

"Oh…_ Oh_," I repeated when it finally clicked.

"Yeah. I mean, you and 'Rage have always gotten along so well, and he told me he loved you, and I told him to tell you, and he said he would when the time was right, and I said that if he didn't say something you'd move on, but he didn't wanna rush it. Then you and Prime announced your plans, and you showed up with a sparkling, and we didn't know what to think, so we… kinda… just lost it." I stared at her. The whole explanation had come out in a breathless rush, and she was looking at me with large optics, silently begging me to understand and forgive her.

"I… understand your troubles; however, that does not excuse what you said," I said slowly, carefully tasting the words before spitting them out. "I can forgive you for your words, but I can't give you my trust again. Not yet, anyways."

"I'll accept that!" she exclaimed, causing Megatron to twitter at her irritably. She sent him a sideways glance, but otherwise ignored him. I gently nuzzled his helm to calm him down. "Jus'… don't leave me to chat with Rebox. She sucks at gossiping, and she has no understanding of what a pity party is."

"You've been hanging out with _Rebox_?" I asked with a laugh. The bulky blue and black femme wasn't exactly known for her emotional stability.

"I _know_! What kind of femme thinks that green goes with orange? The femme is a fashion faux pas! And that fraggin' creepy _stare!_ I swear, she didn't stop staring at me while I complained to her! Then when I finished, she just said, 'Well, that sucks. You should probably fix that.' _What the slag kind of femme says that_?"

"Hmm. Maybe she's not a femme?" I asked quietly with a small smile. Streamshot gasped dramatically. The femmes at the other end of the pool sent us amused looks, fairly accustomed to our antics.

"I _knew_ it! Let's report her!"

"After my bath," I said quickly, rising to my pedes. Megatron squealed delightfully at the sudden change in height.

"Wow, Moon, way to ruin the fun," Streamshot said flatly with a wide grin on her faceplates.

"Well, go chat with Kup then! I'm sure he'll be glad to listen to you."

"Yeah, then I'll spend the next seven solar cycles in his office hearing about how he single-handedly defeated the energon dragon on that dead planet in Sector 9."

"Well, I have to bathe then get some recharge, so this is a battle you will have to brave alone," I chirped, moving from the community bathing room back toward the private one.

"Yippee. I have to find Topspin. I'll see you around!"

"See ya, Stream!" I called back.

"Oh, hey," Streamshot said suddenly, leaning up against the shelf in the polishing room that held smaller towels. "Have you seen Rip-Rage lately? I can't seem to find him anywhere, and our sibling bond is blocked from his side."

"Probably in his room. He confessed his undying love to me, and… well, I had to turn him down."

"Yeeeaaah… he's probably just nursing his wounds. I'll check on him at sunrise. Bye."

"Pleasant recharge," I called after her before stepping back into the private wash room. "Now," I said as I looked down at Megatron, "let's get all cleaned up." Megatron simply chattered happily at the sound of my voice and the feel of the steam.

* * *

><p>I grinned as I trotted into the large combined quarters my two ex-Decepticon friends had been allotted. Chemical was seated in the large couch, studying a datapad, and Soundwave was seated in the chair opposite him, one hand holding a datapad and the other absently stroking Ravage. Two aerial type cassettes were perched on his shoulder, and a single mech-framed cassette was in recharge on the arm of the chair. All optics flashed to me as I closed the door behind me.<p>

"Hi," I greeted easily. Chem waved cheerfully at me while Soundwave gave me a single nod. Ravage hopped down from his perch on Soundwave's lap and trotted to my side while the other cassettes ignored me completely.

"_Greetings, Ravage,"_ I greeted in the cybercat language. Ravage gave a regal looking nod.

"_Greetings, my child,"_ he replied.

"'_Your child?'"_ I repeated with a grin. Ravage nodded again.

"_Of course. You were a cyberkitten, and I was the only adult around. Hence, you became my kitten."_

"_Riiiight. I'll add you to my ever-growing list of family members."_

"_Of course. Now, I humbly suggest you shut down. I spoke with my master, and we agree that you are not safe here."_

"You don't think I'm safe here?" I questioned, looking up at Soundwave. The mech's helm lifted.

"Negative. Wrecker defense: lacking. Entrance into community housing unit: simple. Ravage: able to move around without detection."

"Yeah, well, the 'Cons aren't using Ravage as a spy anymore."

"Statement: irrelevant. Spies available to Shockwave. Drones: most likely used in breaking in."

"I see… So you wanna sneak me out?"

"Affirmative."

"And everybot else in here…?"

"Negative. Wreckers: able to fend for themselves."

"And what am I?"

"Soundwave's pet."

"… You wanna repeat that?"

"Moonstrike: Soundwave's pet."

"No, Soundwave. I'm not a pet. I think you missed the fact that I am once again a full femme."

"Negative. Cybercat tail, ears, and protocols remain. Moonstrike: Soundwave's pet."

"Why you—"

"Okay, you two, that's enough," Chemical broke in with an optic roll. Soundwave and I sent him identical scathing glares, both of which went ignored. "Moon, recharge. Now. Soundwave, quit calling her your pet. It's just going to grind her gears."

"Thank you, Chemical," I chirped happily. "See ya next solar cycle!" I walked past Chem's couch toward the two recharge berths that stood parallel to each other. I retrieved a newly washed and tiredly clicking Megatron from my hold and gently cradled him over my spark as I hoisted myself onto one of the berths. I lay back with Megatron on my chest. A single low purr rose from the sparkling's throat as he rested over my spark.

"Danni," he clicked quietly, then he dropped back into recharge. I hummed gently as I settled back and placed a single hand over my sparkling's body. I flicked my visor over my optics to shield my optics from the light and vented lightly before I allowed my systems to offline, one by one.

* * *

><p>The blackness surrounded them. They always loved working late at night, when the darkness allowed their black armor to blend easily. Red optics were dimmed and hidden behind black visors. Pedes were silent as they dashed down the hall, and the vents were barely opened in an attempt to make as little noise as possible. If the occupants of the base-turned-housing-community onlined, it would be Pit to pay. If the occupants were to arise, it couldn't happen until their task was completed. The two black-armored mechs darted down the darkened hall, avoiding all forms of life as they approached the specified door. The darker of the two mechs quickly hacked the keypad and darted inside the second the door opened, only to find the room deserted.<p>

**::The femme's not here:: -Deathfire**

**::I am feeling that Shockwave will not be liking this:: -Deathstrike**

**::My suggestion is we get that entrance open. Shockwave can search for his pet on his own time:: -Deathfire**

**::Acknowledged:: -Deathstrike**

The two mechs gave a synchronized nod and dashed back out of the room.

**::I am being setting the charges. You should open the back door:: -Deathstrike**

**::Very well:: -Deathfire**

At the next intersecting hall, both mechs darted off in opposite directions, Deathstrike going left, and Deathfire going right. Deathfire was carefully consulting the map installed in his visor as he moved. He had to be quick and silent if he was to succeed without being discovered. He knew without a doubt that the second he opened the door, his second team of assassins would finish the job, and he had no qualms over killing any mech or femme that got in the way. Luckily for the enemy, though, not a single bot intercepted him, and if the rumors were correct, the Wreckers were probably all recharging to get rid of the high-grade they took in. After all, every bot knew that Wreckers only partied.

**::I am at the entry point:: -Deathfire**

He stopped beside the panel that opened a door at the back of the base. It was one of three unguarded areas. In war times, there would be guards posted at each of these doors, and the enemy normally avoided the base anyways, seeing as nobot wanted to tussle with a Wrecker. However, since the war was over, there was no longer a need for the extra protection, which made the entries fair game for assassins like Deathfire and his team. He hacked the keypad, and with a _whoosh_, the door slid open, revealing seven pairs of red optics.

**::Create chaos, mechs, and find that femme and the traitors:: -Deathfire**

* * *

><p>I groaned lightly as I heard a nearly silent tapping noise echo down the hall. My processor struggled to life, only to allow the exhaustion take it back offline. However, something niggled at the back of my processor, something that told me that waking up was essential. I growled lowly at this feeling and forced my processor back into recharge. Whatever was going on was <em>not<em> as important as my recharge. Then I heard the noise outside the door.

**Sparkling protective protocols: engaged. **

**Pack protective protocols: engaged.**

**Speed up energon pump to increase energon flow: check.**

**Activate recharge override protocols and overlay online protocols: check.**

**Cybercat instincts: overriding…overriding…unable to override.**

**Cybercat instincts: engaged.**

**Battle computer: online. **

**Logic center: offline.**

Just like that, my optics flared to life. My amplifiers twitched at the scraping sound of a keypad being hacked outside the door. I placed a snoozing Megatron in my hold as I rose to my pedes, and my bond with him dampened in case I was forced into battle. It would not do for him to feel my fear, anger, or pain. My tail spiked out as my claws unsheathed from my digits. My visor flicked up to show angry blue optics. A growl rose from my throat as I stepped toward the door. Before I could take another step, the door hissed open, and I was on the intruder. A single slash to the throat threw off his balance, and the ripped off helm finished the job. The graying corpse slid to the ground as I released another low growl. There were intruders in my cat nook, and they were about to die. My nose twitched as I prepared to hunt the next closest intruder.

"Moonstrike?" pack-member Chemical called out. I continued my search as he called out the unfamiliar designation again.

"Freedom: respond," pack-master Soundwave commanded. I paused in my searching to look at him.

"_Yes, my master,"_ I replied, glancing at him, sending pack-member Ravage only a fleeting glance. Chemical seemed confused by my words, but I ignored him in exchange for waiting for another command from the alpha mech in my pack. However, Master was speaking to Chemical while he stayed facing me.

"Moonstrike's central processing unit: offline. Current status: running on instinct," Master announced. This didn't make any sense to me, but it seemed to make perfect sense to Chemical.

"I see. So she's back in her standby mode?"

"Standby mode: incorrect wording. Alternate programming activated: correct wording."

"Gotcha. So she's still Moonstrike, she's just running an alternate program."

"Affirmative."

"So… since she's not attacking, I suppose she sees us as friends…"

"Assumption: logical."

"So… she's not gonna suddenly attack us like she did that mech?"

"Answer: unknown." With this, Ravage looked up at Soundwave pointedly, and Soundwave glanced down at him in return before looking over at Chemical. "Ravage: able to communicate with Freedom. Soundwave: pack-master. Chemical: pack-member."

"Figures you'd be in charge," Chemical mumbled under his breath. "So, what's our plan. I mean, is she waiting for orders or something?"

"Affirmative. Plan of action: let Moonstrike loose on enemy infiltrators."

"_What?_" Chemical snapped without hesitation. A growl ripped from my throat at the raised voice. How dare he yell at our alpha mech! I was ignored, though, as he continued talking. "How can you even _contemplate_ sending her out there like this?"

"Freedom: adept and savage killer. Instincts: enable her to find enemy. Conclusion: Freedom able to dispatch infiltrators in a fraction of time taken by others."

"… I see," Chem finally said after a long beat of silence. He looked over at me. "Stay safe." I growled at the command. How dare he order me around!

"Freedom: defend base from intruders." I didn't wait another klik. My amplifiers pin-pointed the closest adversary, and I shot down the hall to meet him. As I left, I heard Chemical say to Soundwave, "Let's get as many awake and out as we can. Ratchet should be able to help us."

My attention was grabbed again when I saw a mech turn into the hall I was moving down. I swiped my claws at him, barely missing him as he spun away with a curse. I didn't pause in my attack. One foot dug into the metal floor as I stopped my forward momentum, and I pushed off with that foot back in his direction.

"What the slag _are_ you?" he exclaimed in horror as he jumped back to dodge another slash from my claws. As I moved past him this time, my spiked tail wrapped around his middle, puncturing important fuel lines in his loosely armored waist. Well, perhaps if he lived through this, he would learn that sometimes, it's wiser to wear more armor than to skimp out for the sake of speed. However, he wouldn't survive this.

"I am the bringer of your death," I hissed in his language as I spun around and threw him into a wall with the momentum. One of my claws rammed through his chassis, and the next klik, his spark was crushed in my hand. I abandoned the body and shot down the hall toward the next noise I heard.

"No!" a femme voice exclaimed as I turned down at the next intersection. I heard the sound of a scuffle as I turned down the last hall. The femme was missing an arm, and one of the three mechs before her was holding it in his hand as one of the others charged up a gun pointed at her helm. The femme was leaking energon, and it looked like she had put up a fight, but one-against-three was never good odds unless the Wrecker was well-trained and accustomed to battle. It was obvious this femme was younger than me, and it was very likely she was created post-war. The Wrecker insignia on her chassis, however, identified her as pack. A loud roar of rage exploded from my vocal processor as I shot down the hall. I raked my left claw across the optics of the mech wielding the gun, and a cry of pain rose from the mech as the other two hurried into action.

I passed up the blinded mech in exchange for attacking the other two. I spun quickly and hit one across the chest, sending him flying into the wall behind him. I grabbed the other one's upper arm and yanked the femme's dismembered arm from his servo. I tossed it to her as I kicked the mech away. The second mech dashed back at me as he recovered just as the third one moved back in my direction. I ducked a punch from the second mech, slashing across the chassis of the third one as I moved. The mech stumbled back, and I took advantage by spinning and ducking at the same time. My claw broke through the second mech's chassis as I stood. He gave a surprised gasp before his weight dropped as I ripped his spark from its casing.

The third mech came after me with a vengeance at this, and without hesitation, I dodged his punch. I wasn't expecting the second one and yowled as it caught me in face. I spun to the left and easily regained my balance. I ignored the throbbing in my right cheek plating as I moved back into the fray, only to have his right fist connect with my left temple. My left optic fizzled a little before my sight corrected itself. I ducked the third punch and gave the attacking mech the same treatment I gave his teammate. He fell into a heap at my pedes, and I slowly stood. I deliberately tossed the spark to the side, glancing over at the blinded mech as he stumbled around in a frightened way, attempting to get away from me. I scowled darkly.

"Garbage," I snarled. I looked over at the femme, and I didn't miss the way she started when I looked her way. Then she seemed to recognize me.

"Moo-Moonstrike?" she asked, sounding frightened. I cocked my helm at the foreign designation, but I ignored it.

"Sound the alarm, then get out of here. Find an experienced Wrecker stay by them. I don't save the same bot twice." It was a threat, and she took it as such, scrambling to her pedes with her detached arm in her servo. She rushed down the hall, and I turned my attention away from her to the stumbling mech. I rushed to his side and pinned him to the wall. He gave a freaked out whimper.

"Why are you here?" I snarled. He looked around blindly, fearing what he couldn't see.

"I—I" he stuttered.

"Answer the question!" I growled, shaking him.

"Shockwave wants someone. I… I…"

"You are intruding, and you have threatened a member of my pack," I growled.

"I didn't mean to!" he exclaimed in a wavering voice.

"You pointed a gun at her helm, and as such, I believe it is only right to return the favor. Master gave his orders." With that, I dropped him, withdrew a gun from my weapons subspace, and shot him through the helm. I subspaced the weapon again as I looked around for the next intruder. I was momentarily distracted by the sudden blare of an alarm and the appearance of red warning lights. I quickly refocused, though. My amplifiers perked up at the sound of footsteps, and I looked to my right, settling into a fighting position.

"Ahh. So you're the ones my mechs have been panicking about," a smooth voice said as a mech turned into the hall and into my line of sight. I growled as I crouched down. "No, no, not yet," the mech stated, as he paused and held up his hands above his head, crossing them at the wrists to show that he wasn't activating his weapons subspace. "I don't wanna fight. Yet." I didn't stand from my crouch, but I didn't attack, either.

"Why are your mechs attacking this base?" I demanded. The mech chuckled.

"Because Shockwave told us to," he stated. I growled low in my throat.

"Not a good enough answer," I snapped, preparing to kill the mech. He shrugged.

"He's looking for a femme. He's looking for a femme and paying off a new… resource, if you will." This statement made me stay in place.

"What femme is he searching for? Why did his resource want the Wreckers attacked?" I questioned.

"Dunno. He gave us a room and an appearance. I gotta say, that blue paint really makes me think you're the femme he wants. What's your designation, sweetspark?" the mech continued, letting his voice drop into a flirty tone at the end. I scowled.

"Freedom, and I am in no way your 'sweetspark.' What about the last question? Who's the resource, and what does he want?"

"Freedom, huh? Freeeeedom," he repeated, letting my name float off his glossa as he ignored my question. He gave me a grin. "Name's Deathfire," he added as he moved forward a step. I growled at him, causing him to pause in his steps, but he immediately continued forward. "You know, Shockwave said we could each take a femme if we wanted. I still need to find mine. Well, looks like I've found her. Now, I just have to capture her," he purred as he stalked toward me.

"Stop, or I will rip your spark from its casing," I threatened.

"And you would. I can see you've already done that to two of my mechs," he said off-handedly. "However, I don't go down as easily as they do."

"I always loved a challenge," I stated with a smirk.

"And a challenge you will get!" With that Deathfire shot towards me. I dodged to the side to avoid the dagger he threw at me and dodged the punch he threw at me. I slashed out with my left claws and only nicked his chest armor as he dodged. He withdrew gladiator arm-mounted blades from his weapons subspace, and I jumped back when he slashed out at me. Another growl rose as I dodged another swipe. I moved forward, and our dance began. I couldn't tell you how many hits I got in. I knew he wasn't getting as many in as I was, as he was dripping energon freely. I wasn't nearly as injured. A cut on my shoulder, a nick in my hand, a dent whenever he landed a kick. Nothing big.

Our dance was one of grace, power, and deadly speed. One lunged forward to attack as the other dodged. The personal skirmish moved through the halls as we used the surroundings to our advantage, advancing and retreating easily when the need arose. It wasn't until he managed to lay a pretty big gash in my upper leg that the dance slowed and visibly shifted in Deathfire's favor. An arm-mounted sword stabbed into left shoulder joint, and Deathfire walked forward, forcing me to stumble backwards because of the pressure on the sword in my shoulder, until I was backed against a wall. I groaned in pain and fury when he leaned forward to get in my face.

"That was fun, sweetspark. More of a challenge than I've had in a long time," he breathed. His vents and cooling systems were working hard to cool his body, just as mine were. "Sadly, though, one of us has to be incapacitated, because, you see, I can't go back without a Wrecker prisoner, and you can't just walk away without killing me. I'll take _good care_ of you when I get you back to base, and I promise to repair you. After all, who likes playing with broken toys?"

"I am not… a toy…" I hissed, hating him for his implication. He would not capture me. I would not fail my master. "I will kill you. Make no mistake."

He gave an amused chuckle. "Sweetspark, I know your every secret. That new resource, that angry mech that told us how to get in here? His designation was Rip-Rage, and he did it all because a certain femme rejected his request for her spark in a bonding." It was like being punched in the gut. Rip-Rage. The designation brought back so many memory files. He had confessed his feelings to Moonstrike… to me… and I had rejected him… I had driven him to the Decepticons, to Shockwave, and I had brought this attack on us. A roar of rage and anguish rose from my throat as I struck out with my right hand. My claws raked over his right optic and right cheek, leaving four bleeding lines down the right side of his face. He roared in fury and scowled at me.

"This is for your own good, slaggin' femme, and you will learn your place before I bring you back," he roared, and he used the end of the sword to rip off my arm. I gave an electronic scream of pain, only to go silent when he slapped the flat end of his sword against the left side of my face, sending me spinning to the ground. I screeched in anger as I leapt up. I ignored the pain in my arm as I slashing with my one remaining arm. The dance began again, only I spun more often to make use of my spiked tail. More hits landed this time, and it was Deathfire that jumped back, yelling obscenities as he gripped his stomach, where four large gashes were leaking energon. He snarled at me, only to turn and dash off. I scowled as I started to chase him, only to pause when the base suddenly started shaking. I gasped when I heard the rumbling that signified the explosions of bombs. I grabbed my arm as I rushed to the closest door and hacked the keypad. The door hissed open, and I darted in and hid underneath the private desk of whoever inhabited the room. The rumbling got closer, and darkness surrounded me as the ceiling collapsed in.

* * *

><p>It was an unspoken agreement amongst those involved in fighting the behind-the-scenes war that nobot would get in his way. You see, he was a force to be reckoned with. On the battlefield, he was the mech the enemy was sure to avoid. In a meeting, he was the mech you simply didn't interrupt. When angry, he could achieve anything. And when his emotions took control, you wouldn't keep him from doing whatever he deemed necessary to protect his loved ones.<p>

This was why Jazz and Prowl were dreading the upcoming personal meeting with Prime. The Prime's relationship with Moonstrike had obviously been taken to a new level. How did Jazz find out about this? Nobot knew, and frankly, they didn't want to ask. Jazz was known for his amazing ability to find out anything he wanted to know, and Optimus Prime's personal life was in no way out of that equation. Kup had messaged them only kliks ago, and the two officers had not hesitated in calling this meeting, but they were both internally praying the other mech would be the one to do the talking. They arrived at Prime's office earlier than Jazz wanted, and they both stood there for a few kliks, waiting for the other to take the incentive and knock.

"Go 'head," Jazz finally prodded. Prowl rolled his optics and knocked.

"Enter," Optimus called through the door. Both mechs vented heavily as they walked in and approached Prime's desk. Optimus looked up from one of the numerous datapads he was reading and gave the two mechs his full attention. "What seems to be the situation?"

"Well…" Jazz started. He looked over at Prowl for help. Prowl scowled at the silver mech before giving Prime a frank look.

"Prime, we have a problem. The Wreckers were attacked, and need mechs to help look for survivors." Optimus went still, and his optics brightened exponentially as panic set in. Jazz had to give him credit, for those were the only signs of aforementioned panic.

"Explain the full situation," was his only command.

"They were infiltrated. Apparently the intruders were looking for something—"

"Or someone," Jazz interrupted bitterly. Prowl gave him a look before continuing.

"Whatever it was, we know they took four hostages, killed at least three, and then set off pre-arranged bombs, completely leveling the base."

"… And the survivors?" Optimus asked in a numb voice.

"Prime, as of now, Moonstrike has not been found."

* * *

><p><strong>Erin Primette: <strong>Lol. Just a little.

**Iceshadow911247:** Lol. The thought of Mirage with a British accent makes me laugh for some reason. Thanks for the long review! Sorry the reply isn't longer. D: It's too early to think =_=

**Minimus Prime:** :D I love writing Kup. I had to have one of those grandparent types, and Kup seemed like the best choice. As for 'Rage and Stream… well, that's been their destiny since they were first introduced. Poor Rip-Rage never had a chance. A plot is something characters simply can't avoid. It's something like fate, only I'm in charge. *evil grin*

**A and A Pikachu Prime:** Dude! I didn't know you were AlexisOptimus! Heh, learn something new every day. =D Yep, Kup was fun to write. I don't have one of those grandparent types, so I wrote Kup in to be that grandparent. Megsy is fun to write, too, simply because I like writing about sparkling, as is made obvious by the two sparkling stories. :) They're simply too much fun to make and so cute. X3

**Dreamin'BIG:** Teehee, 'Rage is avoiding my dear readers for as long as possible for that exact reason. Grad you like Grandaddy Kup, too. He's a blast to write.

**Luna Prime- Awesomeness:** Lol. I think everyone had that expression! XD

**Ellis Bane:** Oh, she will. I'm already writing that particular fight scene. Lol. Maybe I'll set poor Jazz up with somebot. We'll have to see. :)

**BluePheonixPrime:** Lol. Dunno. Guess y'all will find out soon enough.

**Autobot-Bre:** Aw, thanks! Yeah, 'Rage made a few bad decisions that'll come back to bite him in the aft. This shall be interesting.

**Leonixon:** Mm-hm. No cussin' at all. *tossed wrench up and down in free hand* Uhmmmm… No. Optimus can't get jumped. His awesomeness won't allow it *nod nod* I mean, this is _Optimus Prime_ we're talking about. :D

**Angel897:** 0.0 XD We _are_ blood-thirsty, aren't we? Though half of my other reviewers say the same thing. XD Love how y'all all want him killed slowly, painfully, and violently. XD Don't worry. I have his painful and shame-filled end already planned ;D

**Kellie Witwicky:** Hm? No, not quite. Stabbed me in the back in multiple ways, but I don't have a boyfriend to steal. It's okay, though. :) I got her back. Good. I'm kinda like Jazz: I'm your best friend until you piss me off, then I'm your worst enemy, and you _don't_ want me to be your enemy, because, like Jazz, I can change the views of a whole group of people. *evil smirk* I would make a marvelous Decepticon saboteur when I'm pissed. My friend learned this the hard way. :) Yeah… Shockwave…_sharing_… sounds gross. Yeah, let's not talk about that. =_+

**XLizardXQueenX:** XD Yep! Those are the most dangerous of people. =D

**Supergirlprime:** M'kay. So my plan is it takes two solar cycles for a spark to completely separate from the mother spark and settle into the sparkling chamber. Then the time varies. If a femme creator chooses to transfer a spark into a previously made shell, she only has to wait an orn (2 of our weeks) for the spark to develop before she transfers it. If she's wanting to eject the sparkling fully-created, then the time varies from four orns (eight of our weeks) to a vorn (83 of our years) depending on how much metal her body can spare for the sparkling's frame and how much energy she intakes. That's completely my idea, though, so if you are wanting to borrow it (I dunno if this is for curiosity or because you plan on using it in a story) make sure you give me the credits so it isn't considered stealing. :)

**JustAReader:** I concur. Writing during my issues is actually really helpful, cuz it's an escape, ya know? I'm not Jennifer anymore, I'm Moonstrike and Chemical and Jazz and Soundwave and… you catch my drift. I become my characters as I get wrapped up in their lives. Best thing about writing. However, my feelings get wrapped up in the fic very easily. Notice in the last one, her two best friends stabbed her in the back, one of them admitting their unrequited love and the other one just attacking her with words? Yeah. Personal experience. However, the Streamshot in my life didn't just say that accidentally to my face, but made sure she passed the word around, also telling all the secrets I had told her. Needless to say, I haven't forgiven her; however, I'm in the process of getting back at her. I don't go to sleep angry, I stay up late planning my revenge ;) I'm getting her brother and sister in on it too! :D Got my own mini-Autobot army here!

And I kinda feel bad, cuz ya commented on the update schedule and my ability to follow it… then I updated on a Wednesday. Yeah, sorry 'bout that. ^^''

**Jinxed just in Time:** Lol. My goal has been a success. As you saw this chapter, the programming isn't all bad. It makes her a pretty hard-core fighter, not that she wasn't one before…

**Dark-dreams-of-love:** Lol. He's just a mech in love. =3= we can't hate 'im fo' what 'e can't control! ;D

**xxJaimi122xx:** Lol. Well, thanks for your feedback, always love that. Yeah, apparently my stories are the light at the end of the Optimus/OC tunnel, cuz I've heard that a lot. I'm too modest to agree, but I will offer my gratitude ;D I can't stand thinking of Optimus as a wimp. :( He's too hard-core for that *nod nod* Thanks! Hope you like this chap as much.

**Annebellelennox:** Yeah… 'Rage has a few problems. :( Things just seem to go downhill, don't they? D:

**Fanmanbookman:** Language, darling. And we reserve that right for Optimus. I think our dear Prime would like to take another mech's face. :)

**Vivian Hale:** Lol. You're the first to have this reaction. Everyone else is like, "Kill him!" He did, indeed, make a bad choice, though. :(

**Luna636:** =.= Yeah, a bit of bad judgment on his part. Thanks for the review.

**Katie Gibbs:** XD Indeed

**Bee-roxs98:** :( Me, too. I think that's why I wrote Stream and 'Rage like I did. My stories tend to reflect the things that happen to me in real life. Lol. Everyone wants him dead. XD

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** ! Well, get well soon! Being sick sucks. :( Thanks for the prayers :)

**TheSpecTraitor: **Against Rip-Rage? Absolutely nothing. This was actually his fate from when I first wrote him back in chapter 8 or 9, whichever it was. Yup, I've had this planned for months. Yes, it sucks for him, but that's just how the cookie crumbled. :( It's all good, though. His battle scene will make for an interesting one.

**Random Reader:** Lol. Prime has to find him first, then he can steal his face. :) And Kup just seemed like the grandpa type. No idea why, but he is. Lol.

**StarBlazer Luvs Sweets12:** Lol. Thanks for the feedback! :D As for your question, well… there are multiple answers. First off, this was planned from chapter, like, 8. Then… I kinda have this "when it rains, it pours" thing going on in this fic… and lastly, misery enjoys company. ;D If I'm miserable, the least Moonstrike can do is be miserable with me. It's all good, though. Kup made her happy again. =D My writing tends to reflect how I'm feeling at the moment, so… I was angry and betrayed when I wrote the chapter, so Moonstrike was the same. :( Just how my mind works. :)

**RaNdUm-Ash**: Indeed. He's a few microchips short of a full processor. Thanks for the compliments, and glad you like the fic. :D If my written novels are anywhere near as popular in the world as my fics apparently are on fanfic, I might just find my place in the world =D

**XxSoundwavexX**: :D Thanks for the feedback, and I'm glad you like it. D: yeah, 'Rage is really stupid for doing that. Hopefully, all will turn out well. Hopefully.

**Lynn:** You started it. I finished it. Don't mess with me, slagger. Why are you even here again? I mean, seriously. Are you coming back to our school? Don't think you're gonna steal my peeps. I'll tell you now, I will win every verbal battle, I don't care what your IQ is, and kindly get an account so that we aren't having this conversation where everyone and their grandmaw can read it. Otherwise, quit reviewing. Reviews are made to give feedback to a writer, not chat about crap like this. That's what _personal messaging _is for. Muchos gracias.

Sideswipe will be president. (BTW: I currently have the most votes for that. The Sideswipe Campaign has gone rather well with you outta the pic. You ain't doing enough mingling)

* * *

><p>Now for a few after chapter things<p>

*: It was so hard for me not to put "Megatron was happier than a tornado in a trailor park." (yes, i actually use that phrase in normal speech)

1) If you hadn't figured this out, Shckwave had been simply attacking every Wrecker Housing Community in his search for Moonstrike, Soundwave, and Chem. Then Rip-Rage came and gave him specifics. FYI.

2) Before I get any comments on this, yes, it makes perfect sense that the Wreckers didnt put anybot on guard. Remember this isn't a time of war. You will, find, however, that Kup had a few mechs patrolling the halls, which is why so few were taken or killed.

3) I'm sorry to leave you with a cliffie like that for the next two weeks. If I can, I'll update on Sundays, but don't hold your breath. Hope for the best, expect the worst! :D


	35. Lost and Found

1) IIIIIII'MMMM BAAAACCCCKK! Super exciting, right? Not only am I back, but I'm almost ready to start my next fic! I'm planning and writing and hoping y'all love it when I publish it. :D

2) Dunno if this chapter's considered slow goin... I thought it was kinda boring, so... yeah.

3) So, the wedding's through, and I officially have an older sister! Yay!

4) And bad news. Killer Attack Hound, my darling German Shephard, has disappeared. :(

5) Every event is right after the one before it. This isn't one of the "meanwhile" things. Each event is in succession to the one before it. :)

6)I'm fairly certain that's all...

* * *

><p>Chapter 35<p>

Lost and Found

5,070 words

* * *

><p>He was going to murder something. Honestly, he didn't ask for much. A housing unit to come home to, a cube of energon twice a day, his trinemate's safety… and recharge. Honestly, how hard was it to leave a mech alone while he was offline? True, he was one of the leaders of Cybertron, but did that really give every slaggin' bot alive a reason to wake him up? Beside him, his brother was recharging blissfully, having just spent half a solar cycle working, then the other half contacting old comrades. There was no doubt that he wanted to join him in sweet recharge, but of course, that was <em>far<em> too much to ask for.

**::This had better be slaggin' good, or I'm gonna slag whoever was dumb enough to comm. me at this late an hour:: -Thundercracker**

**::My apologies, Thundercracker. I'm afraid we will need the assistance of any flyers you have contact with. The Iaconian Wrecker Housing Community was attacked four breems ago, and they need flyers to access any places that are accessible from the sky but cut off from the ground:: -Optimus Prime**

"Slag!" Thundercracker exclaimed as he hopped from his berth, effectively startling Skywarp awake.

**::I'll call every flyer I can find, and I will be at the housing community in a breem, two breems tops:: -Thundercracker**

"What the slag, TC!" Skywarp griped irritably.

"Get up, Sky. Shockwave attacked the Iaconian Wrecker Housing Community, and Prime needs help looking for survivors."

"Slag," Skywarp muttered as he jumped to his pedes as well. He followed Thundercracker's example in calling fellow Seekers as they both moved to the open balcony in their room. Together, they leapt out of the building and transformed before blasting in the direction of the Wrecker's housing community.

* * *

><p>Chaos. That was the only thing Prime could think of as he arrived on scene. Wreckers were everywhere, and not a single one of them was useless. Those that weren't injured were fighting fires, helping the injured, or making their way into what was left of the collapsed building. The dying fires gave off flickering lights, and the headlights on the chest armor of the ground-type Wreckers lit up any other shadows. Wreckers of higher command bellowed orders to Wrecker grunts, and the wails of injured bots filled the air.<p>

And the building. Primus, the building. Optimus was sure which was worse: Moonstrike being taken by Shockwave, or Moonstrike slowly being crushed somewhere in that rubble. Every so often, a beam would shift, sending down a load of debris, and anytime a mech or femme would misstep, something would collapse or shift. His spark shuttered every time he heard something move.

"Primus, this's bad," Jazz commented lowly. Prowl simply nodded with a dark glint to his optics.

"Optimus Prime!" The voice of Ultra Magnus rose over the din, and Optimus turned away from the building to greet the approaching leader.

"How bad is it?" Prime questioned tightly. Ultra Magnus vented heavily as his optics turned to what was left of the Wrecker Community House.

"We don't really know. Luckily, we have a few mechs patrol the halls at night, if just to satiate our own paranoia. If we hadn't, there would be a lot more dead and a lot more taken."

"I see. So your mechs haven't gotten far into the rubble?" Prime asked. Magnus shook his helm.

"No. We've gotten through the entry hall, but that's all. We have optic-witness accounts of at least four of our contingent being taken, and we found three dead in the front hall that didn't escape the blast and cave-in."

"How many missing?" Prowl interjected.

"That we can tell? Fifteen."

"And how many injured?"

"Seriously injured? Only ten. Minor injuries, we are not sure of. Any Wrecker that can work is working. We stick together, and with fifteen missing, all able-bodied mechs and femmes are working to get to the missing comrades. We won't rest until we've found every single Wrecker that's missing."

"Very good. I've contacted some flyers to help with rescues," Optimus stated, mentally preparing himself to help dig through the rubble.

"And I've contacted the Protectibots as well as the Aerialbots. Ratchet and those two ex-Cons are helping the injured over there," Ultra Magnus stated, pointing to his right, away from the burning rubble. Prime followed his finger and saw a group of Wreckers huddled together. The injured were in the middle, leaning up against each other while bots with medical training flitted around them, placing field patches and welding anything that was too serious for a field patch. Standing in a big circle around the wounded were completely armed, battle-ready Wrecker mechs. Each looked furious and alert, prepared to fight to protect the injured behind them should some foolish mech return to attack again.

"Very well," Prime murmured as he looked back at his SiC and TiC. "Start searching through the rubble. Find anybot you can."

"Gotcha, Prime," Jazz said as he trotted toward the flames. Prowl rolled his optics minutely at his best friend and after giving a smart, "yes, sir," walked briskly after him.

"And you?" Magnus asked, his voice taking a harder edge. Prime gave him a dark look.

"I need to make arrangements for Moonstrike to be moved to a safer place _once_ she is found. It has been made clear that living with Wreckers is no safer than living—"

"—With you? I will not allow my _unbound_ grandcreation to live with an equally unbound mech!" Magnus snapped.

"Then we shall rectify her status. Moonstrike and I had already planned to bond before this insanity happen. We will go through with our plans once she is repaired completely. It will give you the assurance of her protection you so greatly desire, and it will help us keep better track of her as well." Magnus scowled and looked away.

"I'm not the one you should be saying this to. Go chat with Arcee and Springer about this."

"Neither of them have a say any longer. Moonstrike is a grown femme and can make her own decisions. For now, I must speak with my fellow leaders." Without another word Prime walked away. Magnus didn't try to stop him. He was too busy debating whether or not Prime's affections were as bad as he thought they were.

* * *

><p>"Jazz, if you keep digging around that beam, what is left of that roof is <em>going<em> to collapse on you." This was stated in a semi-irritated, matter-a-fact tone.

"Yeah, spybot. Why don't you leave this work to us _big_ bots."

"Mute it, Wreckuh, unless ya wanna find yaself in a bad sit'ation. I've taken on mechs twice yo'r size an' won, so don' push meh, and _don'_ make fun a' mah height."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Don'chu 'whatevuh' meh, mech. Notice I'm the one who's the fah'thest in the hall."

"That's 'cuz _you're so short!_"

"I will slag you twelve different ways if you call me short again."

"And he will."

"Prowler, I _did_ _not_ request yo'r imput."

"My apologies, Jazz, and my designation is Prowl, not Prowler."

"Whatevs, Prowler."

Prowl sighed heavily as he looked at his friend through the small hole of rubble that Jazz had somehow managed to not only find, but fit through as well. The hole was small enough that none of the other mechs could fit through due to the heavy-duty armor they wore, or in Prowl's case, the sensory panels on his back. It was made up of two metal beams leaning up against each other and a door that had been squished down accordion-style. Prowl had verbally noted that if they were to move anything that made up the hole, the roof would collapse.

"Hey, mechs? Imma keep goin' for'ard an' see 'ow far I c'n get. Keep ya comm. on, Prowls," Jazz stated. Prowl nodded once before watching his friend jog away.

"Come on, Enforcer. We're gonna check the back entrance, see if maybe they need some help back there. It looks like the front entrance is nothing but a dead end for the more built bots. I commed Magnus, and he's gonna send a few femmes up here to climb through."

"Very well. Lead the way."

* * *

><p>It was moments like these that Jazz hated the silence around him. The silence that reminded him of his death before Prime had used the Matrix of Leadership to bring him back to life. The hall before him a relatively untouched, remarkable as that was. Pieces of ceiling had obviously fallen, but for the most part, the hallway was unscathed. That, in itself, was remarkable. Jazz looked around him, carefully studying the information that his visor provided him from the surrounding area. He grinned. This wasn't exactly one of the "covert missions" he was accustomed to, but his visor still worked the same. It could upload and download almost anything about the surrounding area without troubles. This was why most Autobot Special Ops bots had one: it made the job easier, and with a visor hiding his optics, it was difficult for a Decepticon to tell that he wasn't one of them. A visor just made a saboteur's life simple.<p>

Right now, that visor was scanning for spark signals. This was why Prowl hadn't discouraged him from moving down that hall. Jazz wasn't just blindly searching through rubble. Like Prowl, he was scanning for spark signals with advanced scanning programs that the common mech didn't have. And he wasn't coming up with anything.

It hadn't been a full orn since he had first seen Moonstrike in that high-end pet shop as a cyberkitten. Not an orn, yet it seemed like it had happened vorns ago. He vented lightly. So much had happened. As he searched, he wondered idly what would've happened if he had bought her instead of Prime. Would _he_ be the one she was preparing to bond to, or would she still have somehow met up with Prime? Would she have even found a way to tell him her true identity? Would she still be a cybercat?

A spark signal appeared on his visor, effectively pulling Jazz from his thoughts. He paused in his steps to pinpoint where it was coming from before he started moving to the door on his right. The door was closed, and with the electricity being offline, Jazz had to be creative in getting it open. His tool subspaced opened as he pulled out a small device that looked like a Cybertronian-sized human pen. The pen transformed to where it replaced his pointed finger before it onlined and produced a high-heat flame. Jazz knelt down, pressed the flame to the door, and started cutting a hole into the door. This was when Jazz started feeling the effects of the silence. You see, normally when Jazz was cutting into something, he would turn on music that would play in his helm. If there was something that Jazz hated, it was silence.

It felt like a joor had passed when Jazz finally shoved the new door he had made away from the rest of the door and subspaced his tool. The door landed with a loud _clang_, and Jazz slowly looked around the dark inside of the room.

"Anybot 'ome? Hello?" Jazz called looking around. It was obviously some femme's room, if the purple color was anything to judge by. A single desk with a stack of data pads stood in the corner near a purple berth. There was nothing else there. "Yo! C'mon, now, I ain' waitin' fo'evuh," Jazz continued, losing what was left of his patience.

"Here," a small femme voice whispered weakly. Jazz's advanced audio receptors easily picked up the noise, and he moved to the adjoined room. Why were there two rooms, he wondered. The second room was burnt orange, and as sparsely furnished as the femme's room had been. His gaze swept over the room before his gaze caught the flash of teal armor.

"'Ey, there. I'm 'ere ta 'elp," Jazz murmured as he moved forward. The femme's leg was caught under a fallen beam, and her arm was stuck under the berth, which had apparently tipped over during the explosions. As he moved closer, he found that he recognized the femme. "Oh, hey! Yo'r tha' femme tha' was at Moon's house. Streamstrike, righ'?"

"Stream_shot_," she corrected feebly.

"Ah. Stream_shot_. Mah bad," he replied, grunting as he lifted the berth off her arm. He grimaced at the arm when he saw it. A steady stream of energon flowed from a break just below her wrist, and he was certain the strut had broken there and cut an energon line. "Don' move. Imma get'cha leg free, then we gonna get'cha ta safety, 'kay?"

"Mm-hm," she hummed tiredly. Moving the beam was a bit more difficult, and Jazz had to put all his strength into moving the slaggin' thing. When he finally lifted it enough, Streamshot moved her leg out of the way so that Jazz could drop it again. "Thanks," she whispered.

"No probl'm, swee'spark. Now you ge' s'me recharge. I'll let'cha know when we're back," Jazz stated as he lifted her into his arms bridal-style.

"Mm-hm," was the reply he received. Streamshot rested her helm against his shoulder, and promptly went offline. Jazz vented and began the journey back.

* * *

><p>Skywarp and Thundercracker landed lightly with fifteen other flyers behind them, six of which were fellow Seekers. They grimaced at the wreckage before them. The building was in tatters, beams fallen and smoke and flames rising. They didn't even notice the dark, accusing looks sent their way as they stared at the debacle.<p>

**/It's like when we attacked the cities before. This has "Decepticon" written all over it./**

**/I agree, Skywarp./**

Thundercracker had a grim look on his face as he approached Optimus Prime from his right. From his vantage point, he could see the worry and anger written all over the Prime's usually kind and peaceful expression. The Prime's glare spoke of the many deadly promises for the fool that caused this, should he be captured. His whole frame held an odd sense of deadly beauty. The fire lit his armor with a shadowy glow that clashed harshly with his angry blue optics. This was the Optimus Prime that the Decepticons in the last Great War feared, the one that promised death if met on the battlefield.

"Optimus Prime, sir," Thundercracker greeted as he approached the mech from the side. He resisted the urge to salute.

"Thundercracker," Optimus replied as he turned to face the Seeker. "I would offer pleasantries; however, this is neither the time nor the place. I simply request that your mechs and femmes be careful as they search. The building is very unstable. There are fifteen missing somewhere in that rubble, and Ultra Magnus told me that he wants all bodies brought out, whether they are dead, alive, enemy, or ally."

"Understood. I will relay the orders," Thundercracker stated, easily slipping back into the role of soldier grunt/Seeker leader. Seeing as Starscream was gone, Thundercracker was officially the leader of the Command Trine, making him the leader of all Seekers. Slag, once Vos was completely repaired, he and Skywarp could go back to being the Vosonian* princes.

"You are to attempt to get inside. Search for and bring out any body you find. It doesn't matter if they are dead or alive or a friend or an enemy. Bring them out. Compute?" Thundercracker ordered as he approached his little army of friends. Helms nodded before the flyers took off, moving easily toward the building.

* * *

><p><strong>Running systems check…<strong>

**Left optic cable: damaged. Left optic unable to online.**

**Left cheek plating: damaged. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Right cheek plating: damaged. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Left shoulder joint: damaged. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Primary energon line to left arm: broken. Rerouting energon flow. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Secondary energon line to left arm: broken. Rerouting energon flow. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Coolant line to left arm: broken. Offlining coolant flow. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Unable to receive data from left arm.**

**Right shoulder joint: damaged. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Right rotary blade: bent. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Fifteenth tail joint: broken. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Left lateral energon line: broken. Repairing… Repairing… Repaired.**

**Left leg strut: broken. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Venting systems: clogged. Seek external medical assistance.**

**Cooling system: onlining.**

I moaned painfully as I shifted in my fetal position. All I could remember was attacking some mechs, making a dash to the room, and diving under the desk before blacking out. As I onlined my optics, I was disheartened to find myself surrounded by darkness and silence. I moved my body slowly, trying to unwind a bit, but I didn't get far before the pain made me stop. My left leg was caught under something, and my left arm was sending rather interesting messages to my processor. Well, it would have been sending interesting messages, if it were sending any at all. I could feel something clutched in my right hand, but in my current frame of mind, I couldn't figure out for the life of me what it was.

"Hello?" I called out, only to let out a string of painful, shuttering coughs. Dust and metal slivers created by the explosion clogged my vents and vocal processor. My cooling fans were working to keep my internal temperature as low as possible without the aid of my venting system. I gave a low, pained whine as I ceased all movement.

Then I felt it. The small movement in my sparkling chamber forced all my pain to the back of my processor. I gently opened the bond between me and my sparkling and sent him my love. Megatron's loud chirp of joy filled the closed space I was trapped in as he sent his love back to me along with a twist of confusion. What was going on? I sent him reassurance and hope. Nothing was wrong, and everything would be fine. He sent me back trust and love. With that matter settled, I focused on the problem at hand.

**::Help… Help me... Help… I'm trapped... Help…:: -Moonstrike **

The message was sent via Wrecker comm. line, and the response was immediate.

**::Moonstrike! Thank Primus, you're okay!:: -Arcee**

**::We're coming, sparklet:: -Springer**

**::Stay calm. We'll be there in a klik:: -Kup**

**::You don't even know where she is!:: -Twintwist**

**::Where are ya, lass?:: -Topspin**

**::I... don't know… Please hurry… It… hurts so bad… Help…:: -Moonstrike**

**::Don't worry, sweetspark. Just relax, and we'll come get you:: -Ultra Magnus**

**::Okay… I'm… sorry for… all this… My fault… All my… fault…:: -Moonstrike**

**::No, it's not, sweetspark. None of this is:: -Kup**

**::Shockwave… after me… Deathfire… said so…:: -Moonstrike**

**::Well, he lied:: -Arcee**

**::You've done nothing wrong, femlet. Just stay calm and relaxed. We'll find ya:: -Springer**

**::'Kay. Moon…strike…out…:: -Moonstrike**

There was a few beats of silence until I was assaulted by multiple different private comm links from multiple different mechs.

**::Moonstrike! Send me a databurst of your condition!:: -Ratchet**

**::Moonstrike: respond:: -Soundwave**

**::Moon? Talk to me! I just heard from a Wrecker that you're online!:: -Chemical**

**::Moonstrike, I know you can hear me. Send me your systems check now!:: -Ratchet**

**::Moon, can you hear me?:: -Chemical**

**::Moonstrike: respond:: -Soundwave**

**::C'mon, Moon! I just need to hear your voice:: -Chemical**

**::Moonstrike, don't make me ask again:: -Ratchet**

**::Moonstrike: respond:: -Soundwave**

**::I just need to confirm that you're alive. Please, Moon:: -Chemical**

**::Please, Moonstrike. Now.:: -Ratchet**

**::Moonstrike: respond:: -Soundwave**

_**Sending full systems check to Autobot Chief Medical Officer Ratchet**_

**::I'm fine… Stop comming me:: -Moonstrike**

**::Thank you, femme. Slag! We're coming, Moonstrike:: -Ratchet**

**::Moonstrike: respond:: -Soundwave**

**::I'm here, Soundwave:: -Moonstrike**

**::Acknowledged. Searching for spark signal:: -Soundwave**

**::Thank Primus, you're okay! And what do you mean 'stop comming you?' Do you have any idea how much you scared us!:: -Chemical**

**::I'm… fine. Stop it…:: -Moonstrike**

**::We will be having words when I next see you:: -Chemical**

**::I quiver… in fear…:: -Moonstrike**

**::Don't get sarcastic with me, femme:: -Chemical**

**::Spark signal: found. Sending in search and rescue units. Ravage: eject. Rumble: eject. Buzzsaw: eject. Objective: search and rescue:: -Soundwave**

There was a moment of silence that I basked in. I was gonna be rescued. They were coming to save me. I shifted a bit and released a high keen at the agony the small movement sent through my systems. It hurt _so much_. Then I heard the one thing that could lessen that pain.

**::Moonstrike. Say something:: -Optimus Prime**

It was like the world had just righted itself. I felt a weak smile rise to my cracked lips plates.

**::Optimus:: -Moonstrike**

The single word was breathed out verbally as well as through the link, said in the most loving and peaceful way. However, the effect was ruined when my hacking coughs were sent through the comm. as well. Charming.

**::Primus. How are you? Are you seriously hurt?:: -Optimus Prime**

I honestly didn't like how desperate he sounded. Prime wasn't supposed to sound like that. He was supposed to have a deep, sensual voice that always seemed to make my spark thrum quicker.

**::Fine… I'm fine… Please… keep talking to me… I wanna… hear you… Keep talking:: -Moonstrike**

To my immense pleasure, he did just that. He spoke in that gentle, loving baritone, and he told me how much he loved me and just what he had planned for us once I was all better. My cooling fans worked a bit harder as the words made my frame heat up and my spark thrum faster. He was telling me about how he wasn't going to let me out of his sight when my systems could no longer take the strain of staying online and dragged me back into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"Disgusting," Thundercracker remarked as he stared down at the dead mech. His spark had been completely ripped out of his chassis, and the mech beside him had had equal treatment. Three cassettes and four flyers stood near him. He glanced back at the three flyers that made up one of the trines that had followed him here. "Skyslice, you and your trine need to take these two outside."<p>

"Don't forget that mech down there," a helicopter designated Bladebash said, pointing down the hall. Thundercracker followed his gaze and saw another mech slumped over, only this one was missing a head.

"Primus. I dunno who killed these mechs, but I sure as pit don't wanna fight 'em. These mechs had their sparks torn out," Skyslice stated with a grimace.

"I second that. Take him up top, too. Ravage, lead the way to this elusive femme," Thundercracker ordered. Ravage snarled at being ordered around but moved forward as commanded. Thundercracker grimaced when he noticed they happened to be following a trail of leaked energon. They moved down three intersections slowly. A lot of damage had been done around this area, and it slowly became more and more difficult for the large Seeker to squeeze through the fallen debris. He had just finished crawling under a low metal beam when he reached a dead end. He looked to his right and grimaced at the large puddle of energon on the floor.

"Well, that was a bunch of nothing," Thundercracker muttered.

"It ain't nothing yet. Ravage says the femme is in there," Rumble stated pointing at a door that was partially blocked by the collapsed ceiling. The door itself was bent inward under the weight of that ceiling.

"Very good," Thundercracker mumbled.

**::Autobot femme found. Assistance requested. Sending coordinates and orders to all flyers:: -Thundercracker**

* * *

><p>Chemical jolted when the orders reached him. Moonstrike was found, yet trapped. The plan was for the flyers to dismantle the ceiling from above, carefully transporting the heavy debris away. Chemical looked over at Ratchet.<p>

"Hey, Autobot medic!" Ratchet slowly turned his helm, sending Chemical a scathing glare, which Chemical ignored. "You want me to stay here or help with the rescue?"

"They have plenty of flying mechs to assist with the rescue. We only have three medibots, one medic-wannabe, and Perceptor," Ratchet returned.

"Hey! I resent that!" Xenon yelped. Ratchet sent the mech a glare similar to the one he had sent Chemical's way, and Xenon immediately returned to his work.

"Very well. You're the CMO," Chemical chirped, and he returned to his work.

* * *

><p>Thundercracker was silent as he worked at moving debris below as the flyers moved the ceiling from above. Already, he was past the door and halfway into the room. Two mechs had come down from the now open ceiling and were now helping him sift through the debris, but it was still slow going.<p>

"Ravage says she's right in front of us," Rumble stated suddenly.

"Finally," Skyslice said on a gushing vent.

"Don't get too excited. There's still ten Wreckers that haven't been found, and we can't leave until we find them," the other flyer, Acidwing, said gloomily.

"Primus, you're such a downer," Skyslice stated flatly.

"I call 'em as I see 'em," Acidwing replied. Skyslice rolled his optics and continued moving debris.

"Commander! I found a foot!" Skyslice suddenly exclaimed as he lifted a piece of scrap and tossed it away. Thundercracker moved quickly to his side and gazed down at the finding. Skyslice had indeed found a foot, and it was attached to a leg. A damaged leg, but a leg nonetheless.

"Move quickly. Dig her out," Thundercracker ordered as he moved forward to help.

**::We found her::- Thundercracker**

The comm. was sent out publicly to all nearby, and Thundercracker could hear the Wrecker flyers landing in the cramped hallway.

"Move," Springer ordered as he shoved past the others and hurried into the room. "Moonstrike, can you hear me?" he called out as he approached the two digging Seekers.

"Hopefully, she can't, 'cuz if she's online, she must feel like slag," Skyslice interjected. Springer sent him a dark look.

"Watch your glossa, Seeker, or I'll cut it off," Springer threatened.

"This is not the time to argue. You two can threaten each other _after_ we get the femme out," Thundercracker snapped as he tossed another piece of fallen ceiling away. "Oh, thank Primus," he murmured as he reached under what appeared to be a desk.

"She hid under the desk before the ceiling fell," Skyslice said, always one to state the obvious.

"Yes. Move that piece of debris over there. It's on her tail," Thundercracker ordered as he started lifting the severely injured femme into his arms. Skyslice obeyed immediately, allowing the larger Seeker to gather the strange sky blue femme into his arms.

"She's missing an arm," Skyslice stated, looking back under the desk as Thundercracker moved away. "Oh, wait! I found it!" he cheered as he reached under and grab aforementioned arm. "I have her arm! We're all good!" he announced as he followed his leader out of the room. Springer glared at the royal Seeker as he approached the room's exit.

"Now you can hand her over," Springer stated, sounding just as suspicious as he looked.

"You are a helicopter bot, and I am a jet. I am a smoother flyer, and I can take flight in my bi-pedal mode without leaning forward. This is not about who takes her to the medic; this is about getting her to the medic before she _dies_. Now move so I can get her to Ratchet." Springer's engine roared angrily, but he complied.

"I am not your enemy anymore, Wrecker, and if you'd let bygones be bygones, then perhaps we would actually be living in peace." With that said, Thundercracker leapt up, activating his thrusters as he did.

The trip to the medic was short and easy, but that quickly went south once the medic caught sight of her. He released a string of curses and rushed to their side. He gave the femme a once-over before looking Thundercracker in the optics.

"Take her my clinic, and have Jolt start her repairs. I'll be there shortly," Ratchet ordered. Thundercracker nodded, and without hesitation, he took to the sky. Optimus arrived only kliks after he left.

"Where is he taking her? Is she okay? What's wrong with her?" Optimus questioned quickly.

"She's headed to my clinic. I'll answer your questions on the way, but I don't have time to wait here. Let's go," Ratchet snapped. Movement to his right caught his attention, and he was delighted to see the Protectobots land nearby. "First Aid! Casualties over here!" First Aid caught his optics and nodded before taking his spot by the injured. Ratchet gave Optimus a serious look.

"If you want to see Moonstrike, you are more than welcome," Ratchet stated, already knowing the answer. Ratchet transformed down into a chartreuse Hummer Search and Rescue vehicle and immediately shot off toward the clinic, ignoring the confused looks he received from mechs and femmes that had never seen Earth vehicles before. Unlike Jazz and Sideswipe, who kept their Earthian terrain forms because they liked the unique and sporty styles, Ratchet still had his Earth form because he lacked the time to update it. Frankly, he didn't care what the other mechs and femmes thought. No, he had to focus on the goal of reaching his clinic. Moonstrike's life was far more important than his vanity. Through his rearview mirrors and his spark sensors, he knew that Optimus had transformed down into a Peterbilt truck that had a few Cybertronian touch-ups and was following close behind him. Ratchet gave a short sigh.

'_You better stop getting hurt, femme, or you're going to give Prime a permanent glitch.'_ As it was, Ratchet was certain Prime was going to be fiercely overprotective of the femme. The leader had already lost one sparkmate, and he had come close to losing the potential second one three times already. _'He's not gonna let her out of his sight,'_ Ratchet thought with amusement. _'Wonder how that'll work out for him.'_

That was the last thought Ratchet was allowed as he pulled up to the clinic and transformed. He rushed inside and moved immediately into the working area. He sent one look to Prime who had been following close behind him, and the Autobot leader understood immediately, falling back to wait in the lobby.

"Take care of her," the Prime ordered quietly, his voice filled with worry.

"I will," Ratchet replied, and he moved through the door, fully prepared to save a life.

* * *

><p><strong>Annebellelennox:<strong> Lol. I was wondering how many would see it. Glad you liked it. :)

**Just Watch Me:** XD I call people that have temper issues that now. Confuses people in the most hilarious ways. XD

**Angel897:** Very intense. I love writing the battle scenes cuz I can be as descriptive as I want and nobody can accuse me of describing too much in the scene. =D

**Supreme Phoenix King:** Here's your requested update. :)

**Kellie Witwicky:** Nope. I mean Hot Rod, cuz Moonstrike doesn't know Sunstreaker, so she wouldn't know about that obsession ;) ! O.O I am aghast! I can't have Soundwave betraying her! I had to go back and fix that, and thank you so much for pointing it out! Soundwave would be rather miffed if I said that he sent a group of mechs to capture her!

:( I think I know what storms you're talking about. We had quite a few tornados touch down in Texas. Lancaster, Pantego, and one touched down near my school, but it went the opposite way. We were safe, and we got to miss half our classes while we all hid in the locker rooms.

And kinda. That's her glitch. If something external wakes her up before her processor is prepared to online, then her glitch activates and reroutes her onlining protocols to where her cybercat instincts take over. Hope that makes sense.

**Starscream's Prime:** Lol. I greet you, Phoenix! Moonstrike says hello!

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Thank ya very much. That's what I was aimin' for. ;)

**Supergirlprime:** Lol. Glad I could shed some light on it.

**TheSpecTraitor:** Sorry to wait so long! D: Hope this update made it up to ya. :)

**Sieluvstf:** Glad you liked. :D Hope this one was to your pleasure as well ^-^

**Fanmanbookman:** :) You will enjoy later chapters… and ya know, the people in New York said the same thing to me when I called them "darlin'" and "honey." =_='' It has become a habit, too. I call everyone "honey," "sweetheart," and "darlin'." *sigh*

**Dreamin'BIG:** Oh, he will, especially when he finds out who the traitor was. 0.o Thank you for the good wishes. I needed them.

**A and A Pikachu Prime:** I _love_ writing sparkling stories. However, due to this story, I've also become obsessed with writing romance. I'm glad you liked it, and don't worry. They're about to enter a war. Optimus will get injured without a doubt. Only it'll be later on, and the reaction will actually be… rather humorous. *insert secretive smile*

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Well, not too sappy yet. _Yet_. :)

**Minimus Prime:** *evil smile* You have no idea. I think?

**Iceshadow911247:** I hate Axe body spray. The annoying 8th graders spray it all over themselves to cover up the fact that none of them wear deodorant. -_- Lol. I love Wally World. I fraggin' live there. And Sally's Beauty Store. Live there too. As for the triplets… Le's see… I know Chromia is the purple one, Arcee is pink, and the blue one is a toss-up. People say she's either Flare-up or Moonracer (Funny how I almost put Moonstrike there) And I have no problems with PMs. I just never reply. I mean, I mean to reply, but it takes me, like, a month to get around to it because mostly I check the PM in my e-mail and forget that I never replied, then when I update my fics, I never look at my inbox… so I saw the PM when I got the alert in my e-mail, I just never got around to answering it. ^^'' Sorry if I caused ya any distress. I honestly didn't mean to. :) And honestly, I don't get annoyed unless you threaten me, insult me, or otherwise verbally assault me. I'm pretty laid-back, so you have to do something pretty severe to annoy me or piss me off. :) No worries.

**Jinxed just in Time:** Tell me about it! I love Moonstrike's hard-core, cybercat battling skills! And Megs slept through it. In my mind, that makes sense. I mean, the walls of the sparkling chamber are extremely padded so that if a creator falls or slips, it won't wake the sparkling up. Now, Megs staying asleep through the battle is probably a bit of a stretch, but even if he did wake up, Moonstrike had blocked the bond to keep him from feeling her fear, anger, and pain, so it wouldn't have shown up in the chapter anyways. I love the almighty power of the writer. :)

**Katie Gibbs:** *evil, excited smile* Honey, you ain't seen _nothin'_ yet. Jus' wait 'til Prime finds out about Rip-Rage. :)

**XLizardXQueenX:** XD Lol. I love causing those reactions in my readers. Y'all are so _vocal_ when reading my fics. XD Love it! Sorry for the wait, but on the bright side, I am back, and I'm actually working really hard on this fic, and on my next one, which I am preparing to publish. *shudder* I hate spiders. Even the little corner spiders. I have my brother come and kill them. Can't stand them.

**Autobot-Bre:** Glad you liked. Hope you liked this one.

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** Lol. Some of it was outside anger. Most was just writing skill. Writing battle scenes is one of my learning goals this story. Writing sparklings is a joy of mine. I love writing fluff. And yes… it sucks to be one of the taken Wreckers. :(

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Lol. Yep. Every Saturday yields a new chapter. For your future reference. And I rarely log in to review. If I'm already logged in, then yay for me. I only log in if I'm gonna add the fic to my favorites or alerts. How my fic life works. :)

Lol. Yep. This has been my plan ever since Rip-Rage appeared in my fic. I molded all the relationships and characters around this one pivotal point. That is exactly how I wanted you to feel about him.

Oh to be fourteen! I miss those days. Sorta. Kinda. Being fourteen gives a lot of problems in itself, so I understand. Me, I'm too nice, too forgiving, and far too trusting. It can be good for others or bad, cuz if you become my friend, I'm the best friend you'll ever have, but if you stab me in the back, you can guarantee you'll never get that friendship back. And hey! Nice to see a fellow Believer! Jesus rox! :D

LOL. Sarah is her name. And my bad guys are kinda creepy. I'm having fun making up all the different speech patterns and what not. XD

I love all my Decepticon-turned-Autobots. They're sweet, and fluffy, and hard-core. All at the same time.

Yes, it actually is.

_Niggle (v): (1) To criticize in a petty way. (2) to be preoccupied with details. (3) Worry somebody_

_Niggle (n): (1) A petty complaint. (2) a nagging worry_

Cool, huh? Ooh. I've sprained my ankle before. Hurts like death. Well… sorta. I love dance, though I've never taken it. I'm debating taking up hip-hop and jazz once I finish cheerleading in high school. *snicker* People'll be like, "What do you do in your free time?" and I'll be like, "I do jazz in my free time." And I'll giggle, and nobody'll understand why. *snicker snicker* Geez, my mind has been hanging out in the gutter lately… =_=''

I'll drop by if I have time. Sadly, I can't guarantee anything. With college, finals, play practice, and cheer, I don't have much time anymore. Slag, I take up my whole Saturday to write a single chapter now. I'll try, though. :)

**Vivian Hale:** Oh, I'm the same. You see, I have a thing for the misunderstood-bad-guy characters. =_='' So I always end up turning my bad guys into good guys, cuz I hate making people bad. My mind can't comprehend senseless killing and such.

Ahhh, I see what you did there. LOL. That one sentence totally made my day, BT-dubbs.

And don't fall off. The floor fraggin' hurts when it connects with your head…

Hi, Jazz! ^o^

**New reader:** Well, I am honored to have received your first ever review! Lemme introduce myself. I am Jennifer, A.K.A. Lunar Mist, Kitty-koo, and and multiple other names. :) No matter where you leave your review, I will see it. I have fanfic linked to my e-mail, which is my primary contact source. About five minutes after you leave your review, fanfic will send a copy of the review to my e-mail, and the review will appear at the top of my review page attached to my story. So no matter which chapter you review, I will see it. :)

Thank you for the compliments. I actually use fanfic as a learning tool. You see, I started out on Quizilla, but I didn't get any feedback, and one cannot improve if they don't get any feedback. I actually ended up deleting my first four stories on fanfic, because they didn't live up to the standards of the readers on this site, so I started teaching myself. Every story, I have some sort of writing goal (actually, I normally have seven or eight goals). For example, when I started out this fic, my main goals were to (1) successfully write a romance story that didn't have a relationship that moved too quickly, (2) successfully create a serious story that has a humorous undertone, (3) create a perfect villain, (4) create a bad-guy-turned-good-guy without diminishing the effect, (5) create a hero that has flaws, (6) create a female OC that people like, and (7) create a completely original plot that will attract readers. As the story goes and these goals are met, I make new goals, like right now, I just finished the goals: (1) create a battle scene that is realistic and draws the reader's attention and (2) tastefully reveal a traitor. Now, I'm moving on to my next goals. :) So, needless to say, your compliments mean a lot.

And don't worry. Apparently, a lot of my readers randomly start laughing about this fic. ;) I giggle when I reread it. I love the part where Jazz and Moonstrike argue in the berth while Soundwave and Chem try to recharge. XD

As for the romance, don't worry, darlin', cuz that's coming. I didn't want the romance to move too quickly, mainly because love isn't an emotion that grows swiftly. Love takes time, and to keep the story from being a Mary-Sue, I had to keep it slow. I mean, Prime didn't even know he could bond again, and in his relationship, _Elita_ had been the one to pursue _him_, so he doesn't have much practice in the "wooing a femme" area. Things are gonna start moving faster, though, due to the latest turn of events. Ya only gotta be patient for a bit longer ;)

I'm glad the fighting scene was easy to follow. I'm a stickler for details, so that makes it easier to write. For me, writing is like describing a movie, so it comes rather easily.

Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter, and thank you for taking the time to send me the feedback. Ciao. :)

**StarBlazer Luvs Sweets12:** 'Course not, silly. Then my plot would die ;) Besides, I think my readers would hunt me down and murder me if I did. :)

**3xX-BOTDF-Xx3:** Thanks for the review. I'm back, so updates are back as well! =D

**Mrs. Knockout:** Thanks for the review and the compliments! Very glad you like it. :) And it's ironic that you say that now. You see, Optimus is about to get _very_ overprotective, because this is the closest he's gotten to losing Moonstrike. Optimus is gonna be very overprotective and very paranoid. Hope it will make you smile and melt and swoon at the sheer… amazingness that is Optimus Prime. I swear, that mech is the man every girl wants. Oh, Optimus, why can't you be real and a human? Then again, if he was, he'd probably be taken, like every other perfect man is. -.-

* * *

><p>*Pronounced "Vah-soh-nee-an,"<p> 


	36. Sick and Tired

1) Yeah. Sorry, guys. i currently have no life. Been really sick today and yesterday, so my mind isn't exactly functioning right now. So all the fluff I was planning? Yup, didn't really happen. Maybe next chapter. Positive stuff? I'm out of school, and I will officially graduate high school this Saturday (yay!)

2) Don't you hate it when you find super amazing fics that stop updating in, like, 2009? Found about six of them. Wanted to cry. :'(

3) Didn't find Killer, but I'm planning on buying a new one. A puppy.

4) Saw Hunger Games... I don't really understand why everyone's obsessing.

5) I've had a bit of writer's block lately, too. I say that it's due to fatigue, but who really knows? I've been working on my new fic, which should be up pretty soon. The updates on that one won't be as frequent as the ones for this, but...yeah. :) For those of you who don't remember, it's a Sunstreaker/OC/Jazz. :) My first _real_ love triangle. :D We'll see how that works out.

6) Sorry for the short chapter, especially after a couple of weeks of unannounced haitus. Sorry.

* * *

><p>Chapter 36<p>

Sick and Tired

3,562 words

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><p>Ratchet sighed as he finally finished his work. It had taken a whole lunar cycle and a half to repair her, but Moonstrike was still alive. She was laid out on the berth before him, her frame riddled with new weld marks that had been used to repair the many small cuts she had. Her left arm was still missing; though, Thundercracker claimed that another mech had found it and was bringing it to the clinic. Both sides of her face were dented at the cheek plating, and he had had to go in manually to replace a frayed optic cable. Her right shoulder was injured, yet again, and he had to completely replace the joint. One of the joints in her tail still had to be replaced, but Ratchet didn't have the parts for it. That would be left to Soundwave, as would the bent rotary blade. Her leg strut had been broken just above her ankle, meaning she wouldn't be allowed to walk for at least six solar cycles, and her venting systems had been completely clogged, meaning he needed to get her into a wash rack. That would have to wait, though, seeing as his receptionist had complained about Prime, yet again. He needed to deal with Optimus first.<p>

With an exhausted sigh, Ratchet strode to the door of the examination room. It hissed open to allow him entry, and Ratchet optics immediately zeroed in on the form of Optimus Prime pacing anxiously. The larger mech's frame was tense, and his movements were jerky. As he was turning in his circuit, Prime's optics landed on the medic, and he swiftly moved to his side.

"How is she?" he asked briskly. Ratchet sighed.

"Right now, she's fine. She'll be in pain when she wakes up, though." Optimus frowned at this, but Ratchet kept speaking. "I was able to repair everything except for her blade and her tail. Due to her foot injury, she won't be walking for at least six solar cycles, and once I repair her arm, she won't be allowed to lift anything with that arm for at least four solar cycles. I replaced the joint in her right shoulder, so her shoulder will be sore."

"But she's fine? She can't feel anything? How's Megatron? Is he still with her?"

"One question at a time, Prime. Yes, she's fine, but I need to keep her here for a few solar cycles to check her injuries. As for Megatron…" Ratchet trailed off as he allowed his chest plates to open, a grimace covering his face. He reached into his hold and pulled out a squirming black bundle of wires and metal. Megatron kicked and squeaked angrily as he was held in the air in front of Ratchet by his scruff bar. "The second I pulled him out of Moonstrike's hold, he started acting like this. Kept saying 'danni' and 'mine.' He's a possessive little mech. Protective, too. It appears that a lot of his traits are still the same from when he first lived." Ratchet finished his explanation as he handed the sparkling over to the Prime. Megatron immediately stilled once he was settled in Prime's grasp, and the second he was held against that broad chassis, he curled up and started bawling.

"Shhh, my sparkling," Prime cooed as he cuddled Megatron close, sending love and comfort over the bond. "You are safe now."

"Daaaannnnniiii!" Megatron wailed. "My dan—ni!" Prime grimaced at the hitch in his voice. The little mech was quite worked up.

"Danni's fine, my mechlet. Can't you feel her peace?" Prime asked gently. Megatron quieted for a few kliks as he searched his bond. He sniffled a bit when his coolant tears moved past his nose plating, but he didn't start crying again. "See, my spark? She is having a good dream." Of course, Optimus wasn't really sure of this. He couldn't only catch snippets of Moonstrike's emotions via her bond with Megatron.

"Danni," Megatron mumbled in a rather protective voice. He curled up and pressed his left audio receptor against the broad chassis, finding comfort in the sound of Optimus's strong spark. Optimus smiled down at the mechlet before focusing on Ratchet, who had a gentle look that Prime hadn't seen for a long time. Then again, it wasn't a secret that Ratchet was a sucker for sparklings and younglings. But honestly, who wasn't?

"Prime, we must speak, and it's not something you will like," Ratchet began. Prime frowned when Ratchet gestured to his office.

"Moonstrike's arm—" he began

"Will be repaired once Soundwave gets here," Ratchet interrupted. "You need to know this."

"Very well," Prime murmured as he followed after the medic. The doors hissed open to reveal Ratchet and Jolt's office. It was rather large for an office and held two desks that were perpendicular to the wall that held the door and faced each other. The one to the right was a complete mess. Datapads were stacked up high, there were two half-filled cubes of high-grade, and three wrenches had been dropped haphazardly near the front of the desk. The other was completely clean. There were three perfectly stacked piles of four datapads that were placed right next to each other, a single compressed energon cube that was no doubt about to be sanitized, and a medical datapad sat right in front of the chair. Both desks had a single chair in front and another behind them. Ratchet moved to the messy desk and took a seat behind it. Optimus fought back the urge to laugh as he sat down in front of it.

"So… what is this all about?" Optimus asked.

"Moonstrike and Shockwave," Ratchet replied. He didn't miss the way Optimus tensed up, or how his optics grew brighter when that designation was spoken. "Had you stayed after Megatron was first introduced, then you would know what Shockwave was after." Prime frowned.

"He's after the slave data, is he not?"

"At this point, we can't really be sure, but… I don't think that's what he's after. When I spoke to Chemical, he said that when last Moonstrike was in his lab, he altered her programming to believe that she was his youngling and protégé."

"_What?"_ Optimus questioned, worried and confused.

"Apparently, Shockwave got tired of working with drones and wanted to be able to work with something that actually had a personality for a change. Apparently, his goal was to raise her as his own. However, he never youngling-proofed his lab, so he had to return her to normal, but not without giving himself a guarantee that he could get her back."

"What do you mean?" Prime asked with a spark filled with dread.

"Apparently, Moonstrike has been working for Shockwave in his hidden lab for the last vorn. He 'bumped into' her on Main Street Iacon and offered her job. We don't know how he did it without being recognized, but the fact remains that due to her desire to get away from her parents, she accepted. Arcee and Springer had been smothering her ever since her first kidnap, which she didn't even completely remember. She wanted to have just one little victory against them and just one place that could be considered a haven. She didn't even think twice before accepting Shockwave's proposal, and I think it's because she still has some of that youngling programming activated."

There was a beat of silence as Optimus processed this. The first time he saw her once she left the clinic… when he visited her house and invited her to use his library… she had said she was going to work at the labs. Did she not remember that Shockwave was a Decepticon, a torture specialist to be specific? Then again, Chemical had been a torture specialist, and he was one of the more noble mechs he had ever met. So Shockwave had been dealing with her since the end of the war. Prime gave an irritated vent. Apparently the war never ended. Not if Shockwave has been keeping track of one of the Autobot POWs.

"So what does this mean? What should I do?" Prime asked. Ratchet gave a heavy sigh, completely accustomed to the Prime asking for his advice when it came to his patients. Sadly, though, this circumstance was completely new and unheard of. The Decepticons had killed off as many femmes, sparklings, and younglings as possible, so having the most emotionless Decepticon taking in a femme and programming her as a youngling was completely illogical.

"At this point, I don't know. What I _do_ know is that Moonstrike is not safe with the Wreckers. It's the first place Shockwave would look." Ratchet glanced down at Megatron when the sparkling squeaked. "We don't want them getting their claws on _him_ either. My suggestion would be to take her somewhere unexpected. Take her somewhere unexpected and get the best of the best to protect her. If necessary, call in more Autobots. Anything to keep her away from that monster."

"I concur. I put together the arrangements as soon as I can," Optimus stated as he rose to his pedes. Ratchet nodded before he suddenly went stiff. His face went blank for a second before his optics focused on Prime again.

"Soundwave has arrived with spare parts, and Thundercracker has returned with Moonstrike's arm. I would suggest you get in contact with Prowl and Jazz and start arranging what you can." Optimus nodded as he placed Megatron in his hold and without another word, left the office.

* * *

><p>Optimus scowled as he paced in front of the clinic, Thundercracker watching his movements with amusement. Skywarp, having gotten too restless, was pacing right beside Prime, in perfect step with him. It was almost comical watching both tall mechs walking back and forth with both hands behind their backs and optics glaring at the floor before them.<p>

"You know, walking won't solve anything," Thundercracker suddenly stated. Skywarp scowled at him, while Prime simply paused in his steps and looked at him. Well, past him.

"Yes, it will! Sitting and waiting is _so _slaggin' _boring_," Skywarp whined. Thundercracker rolled his optics before focusing them on the current Prime.

"I wasn't talking to you, Skywarp, and what's your problem, Prime? Your femme's gonna be just fine. She's got that crazy Autobot medic and Soundwave working on her," Thundercracker called out. Optimus's optics focused on him.

"Shockwave wants her, and he's starting a war over having her," Optimus stated flatly. Thundercracker considered this.

"Then put her in a base with your Autobot soldiers, put the soldiers on high alert, then find a way to kill Shockwave," Thundercracker said with a shrug.

"I'm already working on that," Optimus stated. "Prowl, Jazz, and Ironhide are in the process of reinstating the Autobot Head Base in Iacon as we speak. It should be completed in a joor at the most."

"Then what are you worried about? You slaggers managed to fight off Megatron for thousands of vorns. So unless your little army has lost its touch, you should be able to fight off Shockwave for at least a vorn while we search him out and offline him."

"Shockwave is a bit different than Megatron, but we will not allow Moonstrike to be injured again." Prime fixed Thundercracker with a look. "And I can count on your assistance?"

"'Course. We hate that computer on legs just as much as you do," Skywarp interjected with a scowl. Optimus grinned at the Seeker's reply.

"Very good," he said.

**::Prime, we have security up, and the medbay is stocked, so you can bring Moonstrike over.:: -Prowl**

**::Acknowledged. I will be arriving with Moonstrike in no longer than eight breems:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Very well. Will be will prepared for your arrival:: -Prowl**

"I must leave. I want to be able to talk with Moonstrike when she wakes up," Prime said aloud. Thundercracker nodded, and the two Seekers watched as the Prime left.

"He's boring," Skywarp stated, and he returned to his pacing.

* * *

><p>I groaned heavily as my systems struggled back online. Everything hurt. My left leg felt like it had been ripped apart, and my tail felt like it had been stepped on. My right rotary blade felt like it was wrapped in layers of metal, and both my shoulders felt like they had been torn off. The pain made my sensors want to glitch, and the processor-ache <em>really<em> wasn't helping things. The pain clouded my processors, along with the large dose of sedatives and painkillers my frame had apparently just finished working through.

My audio receptors were the first to come completely online, as well as my equilibrium center. Apparently, I was lying on my stomach, moving forward at a rather quick pace. From this information, I concluded that I was likely in a medical transport vehicle. However, that didn't explain the soft, instrumental music that surrounded me. It was a strange sound, one that I hadn't heard in a long time and had only been given snippets of by a certain saboteur. If I was correct, the designation of this specific genre of Earth music was the same as Jazz's. The only way I knew that, though, was because of how much the silver mech had bragged on some sort of Earth music being named after him while we were on our way back from Protihex. The smooth music flowed around me easily, making my systems slow and relax. A low buzz left my throat as my vocal processor hummed to life.

"Optimus…?" I wheezed. There was a minute hitch in the music before it continued on as if nothing had happened. The air around me grew a bit warmer.

"Good joor, my love," Optimus greeted. His velvety voice seemed to surround me, coming from every direction. I smiled at how wonderful it sounded in my audios.

"Hi," I breathed. I focused on my optics and grimaced when they came online. My left optic was a bit fuzzy, but my right optic was working perfectly. The walls around me were much too close for the vehicle to be of the medical origin. Medical vehicles were wider so that they could accommodate mechs and femmes much larger than I. "Optimus…where…am I?" I asked weakly.

"You are in my trailer. It was a gift from the humans when we left their planet. Ratchet and Wheeljack upgraded it to have Cybertronian speed and maneuverability," Optimus answered immediately.

"Oh…what…happened?"

"The Wreckers were attacked by Shockwave's spies. Many were injured, four were captured, and two are still missing. We believe Shockwave was looking for you."

Just like that, the lunar cycle before flashed through my helm.

Fear for my sparkling. Fear for my pack. Anger at the sheer audacity of another pack invading my territory. A fight. The other mech never stood a chance. His optics went dim, and his spark was crushed. A scream. Anger and protectiveness. Three more attacked. Two dead, sparks crushed. Third one escaping. A chase and revenge. A deep voice. Red optics, angry optics. A challenge. A graceful fight, a deadly dance. Lost arm. Spat threats. Betrayal. Betrayal. Betrayal. It was my fault. It was _all_ my fault.

"My… fault…" I murmured, tears gathering in my optics.

"_No_," Optimus rebuked firmly. "None of this was your fault."

"He…betrayed. My…fault."

"Betrayed? Moonstrike, did someone betray us?" Optimus asked, a frown in his voice. I nodded weakly before breaking into weak sobs. "Slag. Moon, sweetspark, calm down," he ordered gently. My vents hitched harshly, unable to bring in cool air to my overheating frame due to the clogged vents.

"My fault," I muttered pitifully. If I hadn't let him walk away, he wouldn't have gone to Shockwave. If I had simply asked him to stay, my clan wouldn't have injured or missing bots.

"Moonstrike, no. You can't have foreseen this, and you should not blame yourself for something you could not foresee."

"I ran…him…away. My…fault!"

"Moonstrike, bad things happen. People betray other people. It is a fact of life. You could not change some other bot's frame of mind without reprogramming. It simply isn't possible," Optimus stated. I nodded miserably, logically knowing he was right. It didn't make the situation any better, but at least I had that.

"Shockwave…wants…me…'gain?" I murmured hazily.

"Yes," Optimus said grimly after a bit of a pause.

"Plans…?"

"We are taking you to the most fortified Autobot base still standing, and I am calling in some old friends to help guard the base. You will not be injured again."

"What… what if… he… finds me…?"

"He will not. Trust me, my love, you will remain safe and out of his reaches," Optimus promised. I smiled as my spark picked up its pace a bit. "Approaching base."

We lapsed into silence, the only noise coming from the sound of the road underneath the tires and my weak sobs. I could feel Prime decelerating before he finally rolled to a stop. The doors by my feet opened, sending in the moonbeams that lit up the night sky. The floor walls on either side of me slowly lowered before sliding into the bottom slab that I lay on. I could barely make out the four shadowed figured, all made blurry by my fuzzy optic. One of the blurry figures moved to my right side, and I felt the tell-tale tingles of a scan. The sound of a transformation rang in my audios, and a fifth figure joined the others.

"How is she doing?" Optimus's voice asked, radiating from the fifth figure.

"Right now? She's doing okay. Her systems are a bit taxed, and she still needs her vents cleaned out, but that can wait until the next solar cycle. For now, let's get her inside and shut down for the lunar cycles," Ratchet's voice said as the figure that had scanned me stepped back to allow Optimus to move forward. One arm snaked around my back, just underneath where my rotary blades met my shoulders, and another slid under my knees. I hissed in pain when I was lifted, eliciting a, "Be careful, fraggit!" from Ratchet.

"I'm okay. I'm…fine," I whispered.

"I'll be the judge of that. Prime, get her into the medbay," Ratchet snapped. Prime chuckled as he started moving forward.

"He's quite pushy, isn't he?" he asked with mirth. I hummed in agreement. "Are you tired? Any pain?" he asked quietly. I nodded slowly.

"Both," I whispered.

"I see. Do not worry. Ratchet has agreed to give you a large dose of sedatives and painkillers," Optimus stated gently as he moved through the large halls.

"Where... are we?" Optimus gave me a worried look.

"We're at an Autobot base. I told you that on the way here," he reminded me.

"Oh… Why... are we... here?" I mumbled, my optics dimming. Optimus gave me a gentle smile.

"Recharge, my spark," he breathed, his voice sounding like liquid velvet. My optics brightened a little when I felt myself placed on a berth. I gave Optimus a stern look, though my fatigue prevented it from making it look how I wanted to.

"No... bonding... right now…" I murmured to him. I really didn't want to sparkbond with him while I was so tired and hurt. I heard a snicker coming from behind Optimus, and Jazz's voice filtered into the room.

"'Ey, Prime. Wha' d' you two talk 'bout in ya free time tha' makes 'er think like tha'?" Jazz teased.

"Don't you have work to do?" Prime asked lightly. Jazz snickered as he left the room. Ratchet moved to stand on my other side, and I slowly turned my helm to gaze at him. A single finger transformed into a needle and pressed into my primary energon in my right arm.

"I must contact Mirage, Hound, and Sideswipe," Prime told Ratchet. "Take care of her."

"No, no!" I gasped, panic flowing into my systems. I grabbed at Prime's arm as he took a half-step away, but my hands didn't have enough strength to grip, so the ending effect was me pawing at him. "Don't leave me!"

"Sweetspark," Prime began, cupping my cheek with a hand as he turned back to me.

"No. You'll disappear. Bad things happen when you disappear," I whimpered. Somewhere in the back of my helm, this was illogical. Prime's presence didn't prevent attacks at all; however, right now, I wanted that to be true. Prime stared down at me with a pained look. I met his torn gaze with my own panicked one.

"Ratchet," Optimus finally said on a sigh, turning his gaze to the medic.

"Yes, you can stay. Just don't… _do_ anything. These lines need to stay in her primaries and secondaries," Ratchet stated. I glanced down at my arm and found that he had, indeed, been inserting different intra-linear tubes into my primary and secondary energon lines. I looked back up at Optimus to see him giving Ratchet a withering look.

"I assure you, Ratchet, I will do nothing that will hinder her healing," he said flatly.

"Then pull up a berth and get comfortable. I'm inserting sedatives now," Ratchet stated. Just like that, my systems started slowing down. I looked at Prime worriedly.

"Rest, my love. I will be here when you wake up," Optimus promised gently. I nodded slowly before the fatigue completely took me over, and I fell into blissful recharge.

* * *

><p><strong>Amai Seishin-Hime:<strong> Lol. Well, I got an older sister out of it, so it's worth it. :) I'm glad you liked my Seeker OCs. They were fun to create and write. Glad you like the romance, as well. I'm a big Optimus/Elita supporter, so I was careful about putting her in it. :)

**Annebellelennox: **XD Yeah, her life kinda sucks, but things can't stay bad forever, can they?

**Starscream's Prime:** Moon'll be fine, 'specially with Ratchet the Hatchet watching over her.

**Animechick113:** Yup. It would'a sucked if she died. :)

**Just Watch Me:** I love your username, BTW. And yeah. ^^'' I have no life right now. =_='' I'm better now, and we're looking into buying me my own dog, since Killer was mainly mine anyways. I'm saving up for a puppy. :)

**Mrs. Knockout:** XD I know, right! I love writing Optimus, now. So cute. And Jazz. Jazz is tons of fun to write.

**AlexisOptimus: **Neh. We're all like that. I'm the same way. Not only with writing friendship stories, but in reading them, too. I was reading one friendship story where the female oc was just friends with Jazz, and it drove me up the wall, cuz I wanted them to fall in love. -_-

As for Prime getting hurt, there's still quite a bit of plot that has to go by first, but he _will_ get hurt. Fact of life: join the army, expect to get hurt. Prime's joining a war, so naturally, he'll get hurt. And the part where Prime continues talking… Well, that was just something I thought Prime would do. Plus it was terribly fluffy, and I knew the readers would love that. Glad you liked the chapter! :)

**A Wiccan:** Indeed.

**Angel897:** They'll find out pretty soon. Not this chapter, but probably the next one. :)

**TheSpecTraitor:** Glad you liked. :) Many thanks.

**Luna Prime- Awesomeness:** =) Glad you liked it. :D

**Iceshadow911247:** I'm sorry that my reply is so short, 'specially to such a long review. We've given up on Killer, but it's all good. We're moving on right now. Thanks for the review. :)

**Kellie Witwicky: **Lol. Definitely a Southern phrase, but we always have phrases like that. XD

**Supergirlprime:** XD Yep, yep! Moonstrike, the hardcore Wrecker! As for your questions, I can answer one of them. Ratchet would've simply disposed of the body. What do you do with a dead cat? Bury it. No reason to keep it.

**Supreme Phoenix King: **Thanks for the review. =)

**Autobot-Bre:** Back for a while. Hopefully, my life will slow down soon. -_- Don't worry, she'll be fine for a few chapters. :)

**Jinxed just in Time:** Yup. ^-^ And you'll see. It's gonna be a bit more dramatic than that, though.

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Glad you liked it :)

**Biocide:** :D Glad you kept up with it. Hope you keep enjoying it. :)

**Vivian Hale:** Eh heh. My bad. It's BTW. ^^'' I forget not everyone knows our phrases. XD Yeah, it would suck if she died before he bonded with her. I wouldn't do that to the poor mech. :)

**XLizardXQueenX:** Aw! That review totally made my day when I read it, by the way. Glad you like it! Wow, I feel honored. I honestly do. I never thought myself to be a writer to give up sleep over (As I am a girl who very much loves her sleep). Thank you for the lovely review and kind compliments.

**StarBlazer Luvs Sweets12:** Lol. And I'm sorry, but I don't have time for checking and editing other stories right now. I am editing and advising three other stories at this time, and I haven't even touched theirs in at least three weeks. I'm sorry, but I simply don't have the time. :(

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** =D Hey, hey! Long review. :)

It's been two weeks for Killer, and we think he escaped into the fields by our house, which means he's not likely to find his way back. But it's okay. :) And Sarah thought your story was hilarious. She said that she's glad you didn't cut your finger off because her name's not worth a lost finger. :)

Neh. Technicalities, technicalities. And yep! It's interesting to see how many Christians are actually on this site. :) Kinda cool.

LOL. I love finding new words and using them. XD

As for Skyslice… I dunno if he's gonna show up. Maybe, maybe not. That depends on what my muse decides. :)

**Ampdi:** Lol. It's only on the chapters that I don't mean to put a cliff that people think there's one. XD

**Linariel:** So I sat here for, like, ten minutes wondering where I recognized your username from. Then I realized where I had seen it. I love your Transformers fics. You need to update on "Sparked Partnership". I'm really curious as to who ends up with Optimus. And "Interfaced" is fascinating as well. :) Hope to see more updates soon. Big fan, here ^-^ Your review definitely made my day. I'm glad you like this fic. I'm really big on originality, and I can't stand reading fics that are remotely like other fics, so as you can guess, I'm very careful to make all my stories completely original. OCs are very important to me, as well. Mary-sues are the bane of my existence, and I painstakingly create my OCs so that they are in no way Mary-sue. Flaws, pasts, and characterization are carefully drawn out, so to hear that I was successful is a great boon. :)

Another pet peeve that I apparently did well on: keeping the canon characters in character. I will admit that there are some characters that I don't do as well with, like Sunstreaker, but I'm working pretty hard to conquer their personalities, as well. I'm actually about to start another story with Sunstreaker as a main character. A character study of sorts. If I added to any personalities, I had to seriously debate the changes to make sure they would be in character. It's good to know I was successful.

X3 I love Chem. At first, I was gonna make him a hard-core character. You know, the type that would actually like hanging out with Shockwave… then he started humming when he worked, and I was like, "Nope. He's gonna be a super sweet mech, and everyone's gonna love him." And everyone does. :D He's been compared to a puppy pretty often.

O.O That was the greatest compliment I have ever seen. You wouldn't mind seeing her in the movie? Primus. Yeah, that made my day.

I'm glad you liked it, and thank you for taking the time to give such a long review. :)

* * *

><p>So yeah... Got everyone back home, even a doped-up Moonstrike... And... yeah. :) See ya 'round.<p> 


	37. Friends and Family

1) I'm back, and I'm graduating today! :D

2) So guess what **Exactlywhat** pointed out to me that made me double over in laughter. THe acronym for this fic is "TaCO". XD

3) So we're getting rather close to 1000 reviews... So whoever is the 1000 review will get to choose a mech for me to write a mech/OC oneshot for. :)

4) See ya'll next week :)

* * *

><p>Chapter 37<p>

Friends and Family

3,983 words

* * *

><p>The first thing I felt when I awoke was a strong arm resting across the stomach. Another arm was resting at what I was sure was an odd angle beneath my helm. The upper part of the arm was pillowing my helm, yet Optimus had somehow found a way to wrap the rest of his arm around my shoulder. As such, the left side of my body was cuddled comfortably into a strong, warm chest. I purred lightly as I turned toward that warmth.<p>

Which was when I was reintroduced to my other companion: pain. A jolt of pain shot up my left arm, and another jolt moved up my right one, accompanied by a tugging feeling. A high squeal escaped my vocal processor before I could stop it. Optimus huffed in his recharge as my body tensed up in pain, and his arms pulled me closer to his chassis. My left arm throbbed as it was pressed up against his armor.

"Optimus!" I gasped. He grunted and shifted a bit, moving my helm to rest next to his spark. "By Primus, Optimus! Let me go!" I shrieked. Optimus hummed lightly as his optics dimly lit up.

"Moon?" he asked groggily.

"Yes, Moon! Now, let me go, slaggit!" I snapped. Optimus's optics lit up completely as he shoved himself away from me in shock and in doing so, fell off the berth.

"What the slag?" Ratchet griped as he stomped into the room. He glanced around before moving to my side. He fiddled with one of the lines that led to my arm, and not a klik later, I was able to settle down on the berth again, completely pain-free. Optimus slowly rose to his pedes, and I abruptly realized that he had pushed one other the other medical berths up against the one I was on to give us more room.

"So, Prime, did you sleep on the floor, or is that a recent inhabitance?" Ratchet asked snidely. Optimus sent him a withering look.

"Recent," he said shortly. His optics softened when he turned them on me. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay… How are the Wreckers? The attack…" I asked, not really knowing if I wanted to know the answer. Optimus obviously was thinking along the same lines as me.

"There will be time for that later, my love," he stated. His optics suddenly brightened, and he stepped back as his chest plates started to open. I felt a sense of contentment and joy from Megatron's side of the bond just a second before Optimus pulled him from his hold. Megatron kicked lethargically in Optimus's grip and squeaked groggily as he was lowered into my hands.

"Danni, Danni, Danni!" he squeaked cheerfully. I smiled as I allowed Optimus to help me maneuver him to where he was laying on his stomach over my spark.

"Hello, sparklet. Tired?' I replied easily as I looked into his dim optics.

"Danni back. _My_ danni," Megatron purred. I smiled at him as I watched his optics flick off, then I turned my gaze to Optimus, who was watching us with soft and loving optics. He held my gaze for a few kliks, and I felt my frame grow warmer and warmer with each passing klik.

"Prime!" Ratchet snapped. Both Optimus and I jolted and looked at the irritated medic. "If you don't stop flustering her like that, I'll lock you out! I will not have you two acting like love-struck younglings in my medbay! You two can bond once Moonstrike is healed, am I understood?"

"Ratchet," I groaned.

"Now, don't go acting like that wasn't what you were thinking about," the CMO remarked with a smirk. "Now, Prime, did you get in contact with any of the ex-Autobots during the lunar cycles?"

"Yes. I have eight mechs that can arrive sometime during the solar cycle, and I have ten more that say they can be here during the next four solar cycles." Optimus glanced down at me. "I have a few Wreckers coming, as well as a few trust-worthy ex-Decepticons."

"I swear, if Sideswipe or Skywarp are in those groups, you will have a _very_ painful diagnostic," Ratchet threatened lowly, waving a wrench for good measure. I didn't miss the way that Optimus winced.

"Wait. Sideswipe? Like _the_ Sideswipe? I get to meet him?" I asked, actually kind of excited for that. Ratchet grimaced.

"If you're smart, you will avoid them at all costs," he stated flatly. I frowned.

"Why…?"

"Just accept my advice and move on with your life," Ratchet replied. "Now, stay still so I can scan around your sparkling."

I grimaced when I felt the tingling that accompanied a deep protoform scan. Ratchet's optics dimmed as he focused on the results, and he gave a dissatisfied hum as he moved to fiddle with the monitor that was connected to the lines in my arm.

"Well, Moonstrike, your welds have taken very well. Your arm seems to be functional. Your new shoulder joint and optic cable are syncing to your systems as we speak. Your leg repairs are holding nicely. In all, I believe you can leave as soon as you are able to function without the pain-killers."

"So I can leave?" I asked, glancing at the door anxiously.

"If you have someone carrying you around, then yes, you may," Ratchet replied. I cocked my helm in question, which garnered a sigh from the chartreuse mech. "Your leg repair won't be at full-functioning order for another six solar cycles, at least. No walking until I say so. The same goes for lifting things with your left arm, Megatron included." I wrapped my arms a little tighter around my snoozing sparkling, who clicked quietly and snuggled closer to my spark. "Now, Prime, I believe you have work to attend to?"

"I believe I should stay here with—" Optimus began, only to be cut off by Ratchet.

"I am more than capable of caring for your intended. You do your job, and I will do mine," Ratchet retorted. Optimus grimaced as he turned his gaze back to me. I sent him a soft, reassuring smile. At least, I hoped that was what it looked like. At this time, the pain-killers and sedatives were beginning to take hold again.

"I'll be fine, my love," I assured him. Optimus held my gaze for a few more kliks, and I could almost see the internal battle raging behind those optics. He finally looked away with a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh.

"I will be back before the joor is out," he stated, glaring off to the right. His attention returned to me, and he smiled as he ran a hand across my forehelm lovingly. "Rest, my love. I will return as soon as I can."

"Yeah, yeah. Now get out," Ratchet snapped, flinging a wrench in Optimus's direction, just for good measure. Optimus sent him yet another withering glare before turning and exiting. I smiled dreamily, or perhaps it was more of a loopy smile, as the door closed behind him.

"I'm his love," I dreamily informed Ratchet, who snorted.

"Recharge, femme. Those pain-killers are messing with your processor," he stated as he moved toward his office. I giggled at this before following his advice. Recharge sounded nice.

* * *

><p>Optimus was glad that his facemask was on. His scowl would, no doubt, worry every bot he passed, but he simply couldn't keep his worry and anger contained. Moonstrike had been right on one aspect: whenever he wasn't around her, she tended to get hurt. And it wasn't just a little scratch. She always ended up in Ratchet's care. Optimus sighed heavily. The war was supposed to be over. Megatron was no longer in power, his second in command was offline, his third in command had changed sides, and Cybertron was at peace. True, the peace was fragile at the moment, but it was still there, and where there is hope, there is chance for success. Even if that peace was fragile, with time, Optimus knew he could make it stronger.<p>

Then Shockwave showed up.

Anger flooded through the prime's systems as he moved to the old meeting room where a group of Wreckers was awaiting him. He wasn't exactly looking forward to this meeting, either. Springer and Arcee were guaranteed to be angry, Ultra Magnus would likely spend half the meeting asking for advice, and Kup would simply sit there smirking at the insanity caused by a single family unit. Optimus sighed, wondering what he had done wrong to deserve this. He paused for only a klik by the meeting room door before striding inside, back straight, surrounded by an air of nobility and leadership.

"Well, took you long enough," Kup griped, having noticed the prime the second he stepped inside. Optimus fought back the urge to slouch at this comment. He was actually a quarter breem early. However, training given to him by Sentinel Prime himself kept him from giving in to his desires.

"Greetings, Kup," Optimus said cordially. He nodded at the mech, before greeting his other guests. "Arcee, Springer, Magnus. It is nice to see you, though under such negative terms."

"Indeed," Arcee huffed as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"Not now, 'Cee. You can get angry at 'im later. Right now, we just need to know everythin' you know, Prime," Kup interjected, always one to get to the point. Prime nodded evenly as he took a seat at the head of the long table so that Kup and Magnus were on his right and Arcee and Springer were on his left.

"You remember that Moonstrike was captured by Shockwave before," Prime began, pausing to look at each Wrecker to make sure they were all on the same page, so to speak. "After speaking with Ratchet and Chemical, we learned the complete story of her captivity. Apparently, sometimes during her captivity, Shockwave reprogrammed her, giving her the mind of a youngling, and he treated as such. We believe Shockwave has actually grown lonely with his drones and has decided to raise a youngling."

"But the bond… and youngling/creator protocols would…" Springer began with a frown.

"Keep him from retaining a youngling," Prime finished with a nod. "Yes. I am sure he was more than aware that he could not hide a youngling from its creators without ripping out a bond node and thus, seriously injuring the youngling. We believe this is why he wanted Moonstrike."

"Make an adult believe they're a younglin'. Then you get yer younglin', and you don't have ta worry about creators busting down yer door after using a creator's bond to locate the kid," Kup surmised. Optimus nodded.

"Precisely. In addition to that, we believe Shockwave was working to find a way to control a Wrecker's actions to make them soldiers for the Decepticon cause. We think he did this by uploading a string of submissive slave data into a Wrecker's processor. The data string in Moonstrike's processor was isolated and deleted by Ratchet and Perceptor, but it is unknown if Shockwave captured your missing Wreckers for this reason or not."

"So, why is he singling out Moonstrike… or is he?" Arcee asked with a frown. Optimus sighed.

"We cannot be sure at this point. Who really knows what does on in Shockwave's processor? We believe he wants Moonstrike back because she was his first experiment, his prototype, if you will. A scientist enjoys keeping his first successful experiment, and in Moonstrike's case, he would gain a youngling from it, as well, seeing as the youngling programming worked with her. She is his proof of success, and I have a feeling he wants her to show off to his army of Decepticons."

"And this traitor that everybot is talking about…?" Springer asked, his voice deadly quiet. Optimus glared down at the table.

"We are uncertain who the traitor is, but I know Moonstrike has at least an idea who the traitor is."

"That ain't our only problem, either. We still have to find out about the Monster Murderer," Kup remarked. Optimus frowned.

"'Monster Murderer?'" he repeated curiously. Ultra Magnus grunted in affirmation.

"There were four bots found in the base that were killed rather gruesomely. Three had their sparks completely ripped out and crushed, and the fourth was missing his helm. Whatever killed them didn't show mercy and killed them fast," Magnus stated grimly.

"And we know it couldn't have been one of our mechs because we have a strict policy that states that we leave sparks intact," Arcee added solemnly. "We might not be afraid to kill, but that does not mean we have to be completely barbaric about it."

'_Apparently, ripping a mech apart is not barbaric in Arcee's optics_.' Optimus smirked behind his facemask at that thought. "The security playback offered no answers?" he asked evenly.

"No. The security was taken out by the saboteurs," Springer answered, sounding irritated by this fact.

"I still think it was those two 'Con torturers," Arcee huffed angrily.

"Impossible. They were with Ratchet before these murders could've even taken place," Mangus interjected.

"Well, there is nothing we can do at the moment. For now, we must plan for the immediate future," Optimus broke in diplomatically. All optics turned to him as he continued speaking. "Ultra Magnus, you stated you would send over some troops to help guard this base…" Optimus prodded. Magnus nodded.

"Yes. I will be returning to the Wrecker Community once this meeting is over. Arcee, Springer, and Kup will remain here, and I will be sending Hot Rod, Streamshot, and Perceptor to help out here as well."

"Your assistance is appreciated," Prime claimed. Magnus smiled.

"It _is_ my grandcreation we are guarding, after all," he replied. Optimus frowned at how that sounded. He knew a warning when he heard it.

"And safe she shall remain," Optimus said, forcing his irritation to the back of his mind. He and Moonstrike were going to bond, whether these Wreckers liked it or not.

**::Optimus, I will kill you.:: -Ratchet**

It was by sheer habit that Optimus didn't jolt by the anger and irritation that bled through the comm. link. He frowned as he tried to figure out what he had done to make Ratchet so angry.

**::After I kill these accursed twins:: -Ratchet**

Ah. The twins were here. Optimus fought back a grin as he prepared to give his farewells to the Wreckers. He needed to greet the twins and send them to Prowl to receive their personal quarters. His plans were cut off when he received a burst of fear from Megatron, followed by a burst of protective anger from the small bond he held with Moonstrike via Megatron. Without another thought in mind, Optimus surged to his feet and rushed out the door, headed to the medbay.

**::Slaggit, Optimus! Get to my medbay and control your slaggin' mate!:: -Ratchet**

**::She's not my mate yet!:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I don't give a flying frag whether it's fraggin' official or not! She's about to kill Sideswipe, and she shouldn't be moving yet, so she'll hurt herself in the process!:: -Ratchet**

**::Entering medbay now:: -Optimus Prime**

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><p><em>I looked around idly from where I sat. Darkness surrounded me on all sides, and I could only see an arm's length away from my body. I didn't know where the small bit of light was coming from, but I knew it wasn't bright enough to help me figure out where I was. I had debated calling out for help, calling out to see if there was another person lost out here with me. I dismissed the idea, though. There was no telling who was out there. Slag, Shockwave could be wandering around out here, and the last thing I needed was to call attention to myself. So I sat there, trying to come up with an idea to get myself out of this mess. Logically, I knew that I must have come in somewhere… <em>

"_Hello?" a voice called out loudly. My helm shot up as I looked in the direction it came from. I slowly rose to my pedes, preparing myself to flee if needed. "Hatchet, ya here?" I froze, and my helm cocked to the side in confusion. Hatchet? Who the slag was Hatchet?_

"_I don't think he's here, Sideswipe," another male voice stated flatly. I looked around, trying in vain to find the owners of these voices. _

"_Hey, Sunny, look at this!" the first voice, dubbed Sideswipe, said excitedly. _

"_It's a femme. Big deal," the mech named Sunny replied. _

"_No, no! It's _Prime's_ femme!" Sideswipe claimed in a mock reverent voice. _

"_Yeah. All the more reason for us to leave her alone and leave," Sunny stated. I could almost see him rolling his optics as he said this._

"_Hey… Is that a sparkling?"_

"_No, Sideswipe. It's a scraplet that chose to recharge with its meal."_

"…_Strange," Sideswipe remarked, obviously ignoring his brother. "You don't think Prime actually bonded with her and got her sparked, do you?"_

"_A rather crude way of putting it, but does it matter to us whether the sparkling's Prime's or not?" I suddenly got a sinking feeling as I looked down at my own arms. _

_Megatron wasn't there._

_He. Wasn't. There._

_I looked out into the darkness with a new goal. I had to find my sparkling before those two mechs found him. I started forward at a brisk jog, not wanting to move too fast and miss him._

"_Umm… Sideswipe, I wouldn't do that…"_

_At that moment, a wisp of confusion floated through my spark followed by a surge of fear._

**Sparkling protective protocols: engaged. **

**Speed up energon pump to increase energon flow: check.**

**Activate recharge override protocols and overlay online protocols: check.**

**Cybercat instincts: overriding…overriding…unable to override.**

**Cybercat instincts: engaged.**

**Battle computer: online. **

**Logic center: offline.**

My optics flared to life, and an enraged roar ripped from my vocal processor. I glanced down at my chassis, noting swiftly that my sparkling was no longer there. I heard a cry of fear to my left, and my helm whipped in that direction.

The red mech was staring at me with something akin to confusion. Then a saucy grin covered his lips. The golden mech to his side was watching me like a hawk, but I chose to ignore him. The red mech was the focal point of my interest. The red mech and the little black mechling he held. Megatron wiggled and chirped in distress. The red mech glanced down at him and gave a few calming chirps that didn't calm the sparkling at all. Then his attention turned back to me.

"So, sexy, did you and Prime finally tie the knot?" the red mech asked with a suggestive undertone. I didn't reply. I only glared and growled as I rolled onto my stomach. I dimly noted when the medic came in and started yelling at the two mechs. I didn't hear the words. I was too focused on my sparkling. Megatron gave one more cry before finally realizing his femme creator was awake. He twisted in the red mech's servos, sent me a terrified look, and screamed, "Danni, save!"

That was all it took. My tail spiked up, and my claws unsheathed as I pounced at the red mech. The lines in my right arm ripped out, causing a rather bad energon leak, but I ignored it, too focused on saving my sparkling and eliminating the threat. The red mech dodged at the last minute, and the golden mech stepped in front as I landed on the berth behind them. The claws in my pedes sank into the berth, keeping me from sliding off. Twin Cybertonium swords rose from the gold twins weapons subspace and melded with his wrists. The medic gave a string of curses as he hurried in our direction. I disregarded him, centering my attention on the newest adversary that stood between me and my sparkling. I roared as I pounced on the golden mech, who gave an irritated grunt as he caught my wrists and tossed me away before I could cause any damage. I slid across a berth and landed on my pedes. I roared angrily as I prepared to leap over the berth to take another shot at the golden mech, spurred on by my creation's scared cries. However, my leg could no longer take the harsh treatment it was receiving. My angry roar turned to a pained one as my leg strut collapsed under my weight.

"Primus slaggit, Moonstrike!" Ratchet yelled as he moved to my side. I paid him no attention as I tried to crawl to the golden warrior, ready to fight to my death for my sparkling. I was preparing to use my one good leg as leverage for a pounce when the door opened, and all my fears were dropped.

My mate-to-be strode into the room with all the force of an acid storm, his engine growling lowly in his chassis. He moved to the red mech's side first and firmly lifted Megatron from his grasp without receiving any fight in return. I kept my gaze on the two enemies as my intended moved to my side.

"Allow Ratchet to assist you, my love," he said lowly. The red mech took a step forward, eliciting a growl from me. I would not have him attacking my mate while his back was turned. "Relax, Moonstrike. I will take care of everything from here on," my mate assured me gently, running a hand down my cheek as he held Megatron over his spark with the other. I scowled, not recognizing the designation they kept using. I allowed the medic to scan me, my optics never leaving the two assailants.

"Slaggit, femme. Your leg is slagged to the Pit and back," Ratchet groused.

"Is she gonna be okay, Ratch?" the red mech questioned, taking a hesitant step forward.

"Stay where you are, Sideswipe," Prime ordered with a scowl. I looked up at him and frowned. Why was he fighting his protective protocols so much? Why wasn't he killing the mech that threatened his mate and creation? My engine revved lightly in righteous anger at my mate's hesitance.

"He meant no harm, Moonstrike," my intended stated. "Ratchet, sedate her and repair her new injuries."

"Yes, sir," the medic replied, moving to my side. I hissed at him, warning him to stay back. I wasn't going to allow myself to get hurt again. The medic paused and glanced up at my mate. "I don't think she's in the right frame of mind right now," he said lowly, carefully studying me.

"Moonstrike, I need you to let Ratchet do his job," my mate said gently.

"I do not know that designation," I replied irritably. My mate's optics flicked to the medic when he gave an enlightened, "Ah!"

"Her cybercat programming overrode her normal programming," the medic explained when he saw my mate's confused look. My mate's optics brightened in understanding.

"I see. Freedom," —My audio amplifiers perked up at the sound of my name from my mate's vocal processor— "Ratchet is going to make you feel better." I looked over at the medic with a critical look.

"You will guard my sparkling?" I asked as I looked back up at my mate. He smiled gently and nodded.

"You and Megatron will remain safe," he promised. I vented, frowning when I discovered that my vents were clogged.

"Very well," I replied. I waited docilely as the medic pressed a needle into one of my neck cables. "You will stay with me?"

"Of course, my love," my mate assured me. I hummed as my systems slowed down.

"Ratchet, repair her quickly. I will not leave her alone again."

It was the last thing I heard, and I fell offline with those protective words repeating through my processor in that velvety voice.

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><p><strong>Jinxed just in Time:<strong> XD Ah, but I live for dramatic scenes! :D

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Many thanks. ;)

**Vivian Hale:** Hehe. Yeah, bad things happen to Prime, but I don't think I'll ever do anything _that_ mean to him. ;) Heh, with my mind, ominous is normal. Keeping that thought process of 'nothing's happened _yet_,' may be a very good idea ;)

**Angel 897:** Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

**Starscream's Prime:** I know, right! I didn't think that this many people would actually like this fic! :D And soon. Very soon. Within the next four updates, hopefully. Patience, my dear ;)

**Jazaline Lupus:** I frickin' _love_ your username. I had to actually rewatch the movie to figure out where that quote was XD It drove me nuts! Thanks for the review. ;)

**Iceshadow911247:** Oh, I don't mind reading the long reviews, or the stories. I just can't always reply to every part of the review like I prefer to. I still read it all, and I don't mind reading it, I just didn't have the attention span to give a long reply. I actually stopped writing replies for the day after writing yours. I was really sick, and my head was just not functioning. So, go ahead and give long reviews ;) I dun mind.

Lol. I could totally see someone sitting in the restaurant, reading a Kindle, and allowing a super creepy smile to rise to their face. XD Oh, the mental pictures!

*Gasp*! (Not in the sarcastic sense. I actually gasped when I read that) I was thinking about doing the same with my hair, but with red instead of blue. I have blonde hair, so it would show up really good. Just trying to decide…

**XLizardXQueenX:** Aww! Sugar, if you keep showering me with praises, Imma get a big head! X3 Many thanks!

**Linariel:** Lol. Yeah, one of my goals was to make a creepy bad guy. I didn't want to write a bad guy that only wanted the main character for sexual reasons, mainly because it was rather overdone and I don't write smut or rape of any degree. So, I worked it out logically, and I can see Shockwave wanting a femme for that reason. I mean, he doesn't wanna bond with a femme, so he can't have a legit sparkling, and the Allspark is gone, preventing a non-femme birth. Ya know? I believe I explained it further in this chapter, but it seemed most logical, and it has never been done before. Originality is my goal.

Eh heh heh heh. Well, as you can see, he's just a _little_ more protective than normal. That will be touched upon more next chapter. My "Possessive/Protective Prime" fangirls will adore next chapter. :)

My next story, which I hope to actually start publishing soon will focus on him, so I get to dive into Sunstreaker's mind. :) It is an adventure I await with anticipation. =D

Hmm… Lemme give you some advice that I had to learn at the beginning. Often times, a reader doesn't review for their own reasons. Me personally, I normally only review once: when I first read the fic. This is because I'm always reading the updates on my phone, which makes reviewing a hassle. I have no life right now, so I usually am reading on the go, too. So don't focus on the reviews as much as the favorites and the alerts. You would be surprised how many silent fans you might have. On top of that, if you don't update a story for a long time, your readers will automatically assume you have abandoned it. It's how we think. So just keep it going. Besides, the more the update, the more it's on the top of the updated list, meaning more transformers fans will see it. I get new readers every chapter because whenever I update a chapter, people who are just scanning the Transformers page see it. So keep updating. I will wait with anticipation. :)

And thanks. :)

**Jeannette Hetfield:** Lol! I love how many of y'all consider my fic a sort of drug. XD Honestly, I'm like that with the fic "_Lyra_". And I plan on continuing this for a long time. :)

Glad you like Moon! I love hearing when people like my ocs. So satisfying. :) I'm trying to put little Megsy in more, because he seems to be such a hit with everyone XD

Lol. Yep, finally getting away from high school! Yes, DB did pick on me. He commented on my stalker, he commented on my inability to be silent, and he noted that if you searched out the loudest table in a room, you could guarantee I'd be at that table. -_-'' Gotta love the guy. Did you go to his retirement party that was held on Friday? I can't believe he's retiring! I was lucky to get him his last year. I'm gonna be bawling while he gives his last speech at our graduation. :'(

**Transformers girl 1234:** :( Be sad no longer! Here's your chapter, and a cookie! :D

**Kellie Witwicky:** Tell me about it. I understand to a point. I mean, one girl only updates once a month, but the updates are 10k words long. I dunno whether I should be pissed or amazed by this. -_- And yeah, I've been neglecting my other stories. It makes me mad, because I dunno whether I should just discontinue them or not. :S

**Supergirlprime:** I will try. :)

**Just Watch Me:** Next chapter, my dear. Next chapter is your fluffy fuzzy chapter, I swear. Look forward to it. :)

**Anon:** I think it's just allergies acting up. 'Least I hope that's what it is. Lol. Yeah, I need to update the others. My muse is just so focused on this one… ^^'' Oh! And guess what! I got a flame on that fic! I got a fraggin' flame, and the slagger that left it didn't even read the whole slaggin' story first! Her review was supplied with incomplete information, which only irritates me more. I was rather irate when I received it. :(

I'm actually looking into protective dogs. I want a dog that can defend us when we're outside. The coyote problem has been picking up a bit, so I'm looking into dogs that can fight, and will fight to protect their pack. *nod nod*

The camera angles gave me a headache. Whoever shot that movie should be shot. (See what I did there? *nudge nudge*) Anywho, the whole concept kinda made me sick to my stomach. The only good part was the black guy that designed her clothes. Loved that guy! Oh, and that guy that asked around to get her sponsers. Loved him too! XD

LOL. I love 'Warp, too. He always came across to me as the loveable younger brother with ADD. Adorable! :3

I know what you mean. It was so short because I couldn't focus on the plot long enough to plan it out. Illness sucks.

And I'm actually a big OP/Elita supporter, as well. I didn't want Elita to just disappear to the side because I always saw her as a big part of Prime's life, but I needed Optimus to be single, so I gave her an honorable death as a warrior defending her home. And Now, Opty has Moon. :)

**Dreamin'BIG:** Thanks :D

**Annabellelennox:** I know, right! I feel so loved and honored! And… I think this chapter may have answered your question partially… :) I overthink things, too. It's not a bad thing… most of the time. ^o^

**Tenko Kugen:** 1) I shall try. Orange juice has been my best friend for the last few days. -_- It has more flavor than water. 2) Yeah, and it's worse when they haven't updated any of their stories, cuz then you can't have the hope that the story will be updated in the future. :( 3) Aw. Sad day. Losing pets is always so sad, cuz it's like losing a family member. 4) I'm going to see that Tuesday! Can't wait! I've heard from so many sources that it's amazing. So excited! 5) Hmm… Is it okay if it's a one-shot? I won't have time for a chapter fic, but a one-shot just for you I can fit into my schedule. :) Lemme know. 6) Thanks for the compliments and the feedback. :)

**Autobot-Bre:** Lol. If he goes offline, it will definitely be in an epic fight. Dunno how it will all pan out, though. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

**Fanmanbookman:** Nope. Never two chappies in a row. Don't have time right now. Just every Saturday.

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><p>well... Review, my friends!<p> 


	38. Of Crippled Femmes and Dark Plans

1) Hi, guys! Sorry, I'm late. =_= i have no life right now. Gotta get a job and get comfortable with driving. Life kinda sucks. It's all good, though :)

2) So... saw Avengers... It. Was. Amazing! And saw Battleship. It kinda sucked. Though it was funny how you could hear Cybertronian anytime one of the alien machines moved XD The whole movie, Dylan and I kept leaning over to each other and saying, "Optimus Prime would'a _killed_ that slagger in two seconds flat," or " Slag, Ironhide could make better weapons than that," or "Megatron would've fought way harder against little aliens like that. _Pathetic_." I love Dylan. ^-^

3) Everyone go check out my one-shot with Ratchet! It's adorable, and fluffy, and cute! You will love it! Review so that I may smile. ;D

4) Don't overthink this chapter. Please. Don't.

5) Don't forget my competition. The one thousandth reviewer will be allowed to pick a mech for me to write a one-shot about. :)

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><p>Chapter 38<p>

Of Temporarily Crippled Femmes And Dark Plans

3,196 words

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><p>The first thing that registered in my mind was sound. It was strange to wake up to noise around me, especially when that noise was the chatter of multiple mechs I didn't recognize. I was able to place where I was due to experience. I was obviously in a rec room. It wasn't overbearingly loud, so I knew we weren't in a Wrecker's rec room, and I could tell that there weren't many mechs in the room at the time. I could smell the tangy scent of regular grade energon mixed with different metals and liquids to spice up the aforementioned drink.<p>

The next thing I noticed was that I wasn't lying down. Instead, I seemed to be seated on a lap. I was apparently seated _sideways_ on this lap, and my upper body was resting limp against a broad chassis. My helm was settled against a strong shoulder, and an arm was wrapped around my waist. The hand of said arm was resting on my stomach, and a single thumb was rubbing circles absently on the thin armor there, sending small tingles through my systems. The chest I was resting against vibrated suddenly with laughter, and I decided I wanted to see my perch for myself.

Onlining my optics was a difficult task, and it took all my focus for some reason. My recharge protocols kept fighting for activation, but I firmly overrode them. I wanted to see my mech. My tail twitched as my optics dimly lit up.

"Oh, hey! She's up!" an obnoxious voice exclaimed. My optics slowly connected with those of a red mech before narrowing. The mech sat back in his chair as his posture changed from welcoming to unsure.

"Sideswipe…" I murmured, just now realizing who the mech before me was. I smiled in fangirl joy. "I read… your book… I was amazed… at how… noble you… are… helping your… brother… fight low… self-esteem… and depression… and bullies…" I grimaced at how hard it was to speak. My processor took extra time searching for and sending words to my vocalizer. Sideswipe gave a nervous chuckle as he slid his gaze over to the golden mech sitting beside him, a golden mech who was giving him a very, very dark look. It suddenly clicked in my lethargic processor who this golden mech was, and I gave a weak gasp.

"Sunstreaker!" I exclaimed weakly. "It was so amazing… that you… allowed your brother… to show his beauty… to Cybertron while… you stuck to painting..." I frowned at him. "But I think… you're very handsome… no matter… what those bullies… say."

"Bullies? Self-esteem problems? Sideswipe, as I recall, these were all _your_ problems," Sunstreaker growled. Sideswipe laughed nervously.

"Perhaps a few things were mistyped. Obviously, your fans still love you, no matter what those lying reporters say!" Sideswipe said as he gestured to me.

"I never spoke to a reporter," Sunstreaker replied darkly.

"That's because… Sideswipe said you… were busy…" I interjected. Sunstreaker's growl grew in volume, and I wondered why he was mad.

"You have five kliks," Sunstreaker growled. Sideswipe didn't waste any of those kliks. He jumped to his pedes and shot out the door, nearly flattening Chemical and Soundwave as they walked in. Sunstreaker leapt up right after and shot out after him. I whistled in confusion as I looked up at the mech holding me. Optimus looked down with optics filled with love and worry.

"Was it…something… I said?" I asked quietly. Optimus smiled gently.

"No, my femme. You did nothing wrong," he replied. I nodded as I let my helm rest against his shoulder as I took in my surroundings. There weren't many bots in the room. I could see Chemical and Soundwave seated at a table adjacent to ours, and I could see Ironhide, a blue femme, and a mech I didn't recognize. I could see a few more grounder mechs that I didn't know, and two femmes that were chatting with each other. No Wreckers, though.

"Why… am I… here? Does… Ratchet know?" I whispered. Prime's engine gave a low rumble.

"Yes. Since it became quite apparent that you attract trouble whenever I am not in your presence, I decided to keep you near so that I can defend you should the need arise. However, with our war revitalizing, I needed to do my work, so I… persuaded Ratchet to find a way to repair you enough to carry." Somehow, the image of Optimus arguing with Ratchet over me made my spark stutter, and not in a good way.

"Wha… what did he… say?" I questioned. Prime's free hand, which I discovered had once been moving an energon cube filled with mid-grade energon with a copper and iron from the table to his mouth and back, moved to cradle my helm.

"He put a metal brace on your leg, which you cannot put any weight on for the next orn, and he has put a semi-permanent patch on your arm. Luckily, the broken energon lines weren't irrepairable, and the only downfall is that you can no longer have an IL set up to your systems. Ratchet gave me a few sedatives and a few pain-killers to administer at specified times. In essence, you are mine to protect."

My processor seemed sluggish at working through what Optimus had just told me. Recharge was already pulling at my systems again. I stared at Optimus in silent horror as I repeated the only thing that my mind seemed to focus on. "I can't walk… for a whole… orn?" Another chuckle rumbled through Prime's chest.

"No, my love. I'm afraid you cannot."

"This sucks," I moaned as I let my helm rest of Prime's broad chest. His hand moved from the back of my helm to the top, and he gently rubbed at my audio amplifiers, effectively making my pains and irritations fade.

"If it's any consolation, I feel sorry for you," Chemical chirped from across the room.

"Thanks, Chem," I called back weakly. "Your pity… is… appreciated," I added, recharge finally sinking in its fangs.

"Rest, my love. I will be here when you awaken," Prime purred. I whirred quietly as I relaxed into his grasp.

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><p><em>I grimaced when I started going through what was becoming a frighteningly familiar process. My optics, once again, were heavy, and it was difficult to online them. Hearing came first again, and I smiled at the sound of gentle vents. I could feel the warm outtakes of another bot's venting system. I hummed quietly as I cuddled closer to the warm body that I was lying against. A low chuckle sounded in my audio amplifier as arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me even closer to the mech in question.<em>

"_My love? Optimus?" I murmured, noticing idly that my body didn't hurt like it had the last time I was awake._

"_No, baby. It's meh," a familiar voice purred. My optics flashed on, and I rolled in the mech's arms to gaze into the smirking faceplates of… Jazz._

"_Oh, Primus!" I gasped, horrified at the thought of cheating on Prime. "What's going on? Where's Optimus?" I exclaimed. Jazz frowned down at me._

"_With 'Lita. Where else would 'e be?" he asked. My optics widened as I looked up at the mech holding me. When had he grown _taller_ than _me_?_

"_Elita-One died. I saw her when we wen-"_

"_Whoa, whoa, whoa, swee'spark. 'Lita's many things, bu' offline ain' one of 'em," Jazz replied. "Now, you jus' r'lax, babe. You fell inta' recharge righ' after we bonded."_

"_Bonded? We bonded?" I squeaked, searching around for the inevitable bond, and I found it with ease. Love suddenly flowed through that bond, along with a huge burst of desire and passion._

"_Tha's righ', babe. We bonded, an' I'm ready fo' roun' two," he purred. I squealed in shocked when his lips crushed against mine. Primus, no! What was going on? I didn't want to bond with Jazz! What about Optimus! Primus, did Optimus even know? "Course 'e knows. Prime was the one who set us up. Don' you r'member?" Jazz caressed my back plating as he gazed at me. "C'mon, swee'spark. Stop thinkin', and let meh make all yo'r dreams come true," Jazz hummed as he reached for the hatches that held my chest plating closed._

"No!" I shrieked. My optics flashed on, and pain flooded my sensors.

"It's about fraggin' time you onlined! Primus bless, Moonstrike!" Ratchet's voice filled my audio receptors, and I looked over at him with wide optics.

"Jazz was gonna bond with me!" I shrieked, panicked. Ratchet stared at me for a klik before he burst out laughing.

"Ey! I fail ta see 'ow tha's funneh!" Jazz's voice barked. I scooted away from the voice, ignoring the throbbing in my right wrist and left leg.

"Because she was having a nightmare about bonding with you!" Ratchet replied, his laughter quieting down to snickers.

"Earthlin's say 'a dream is a wish the spark makes.' So tell meh, Moon. Do ya wanna bond with meh?" Jazz purred, leaning over me with a sensual smile.

"I believe she would prefer to bond with me, rather than with her night terror," Optimus murmured from behind me. I scooted towards his voice until I felt two arms wrap around me from behind. I sat there silently, my back leaning against Prime's chest with his two arms wrapped around my waist.

"Yeah, yeah. If she'd a' stayed with meh when she was a Cybuhcat, then I'd be the one she'd be bondin' to," Jazz mumbled.

"Ah, but she didn't and you aren't. Now, Prime, Jazz, you two need to leave for a breem and a half," Ratchet stated flatly.

"No." I shuttered my optics in surprise at the curt reply from the mech holding me, and a single look at Ratchet proved that the medic was more irritated than shocked.

"Prime, she will be fine for a breem. Soundwave, Chemical, and I will all be with her. I doubt anybot will attack two torture specialists," he retorted.

"Regardless of your doubts, I will not allow her to leave my sight," Optimus shot back, his grip tightening.

"Prime, you are not bonded to her yet, and as such, you should not be allowed to see her full protoform, which is what will be visible."

"Holy slag! What are you talking about?" I demanded, optics wide. Ratchet sent me a withering glance.

"You need a shower to clean of the last of the dust and clear out your vents. We had to insure your wounds weren't life-threatening before we took off your armor, and now that we are sure, you need to be cleaned off," Ratchet stated evenly.

"And you can't get a femme to help?" I squeaked, looking around for a femme to back me up. Unfortunately, there were none.

"Moonstrike, I am a medic, and I assure you, I am not interested in you that way," Ratchet claimed.

**::Danni. I need femme assistance in the medbay. Now. Please:: -Moonstrike**

"I think we should wait for a femme medic," I replied.

"We don't _have_ any femme medics, and I don't have time to wait for one. The dust and debris is destroying your cooling and venting systems. You need to get clean it off as soon as possible," Ratchet growled.

"I believe her femme creator and the other femmes can perform this task, Ratchet," Prime cut in with a possessive rev.

"You and your protective subroutes!" Ratchet ranted.

"Ratchet, I believe we can take it from here," a prim, feminine voice stated. Ratchet paused to look at the door and grimaced. Arcee was standing there with a blue femme and a purple one her right and left flanks respectively.

"I have to shower, and Ratchet refuses to cooperate," I called out. Arcee glared over at the medic, and I watched as her optics dimmed. Ratchet flinched a few times, and I knew that my danniluk had started an internal conversation, or argument depending on how you looked at it, with him. My attention, however, was grabbed by the blue femme, who moved to the berth I was situated on, followed closely by the other two femmes.

"Hello, Moonstrike. We've never met formally due to my job in Praxus. My designation is Chromia, and I am your femme creator's sister," the blue femme greeted with a smile.

"And I am Flareup, and I hold the same relationship with your danniluk," the purple femme added. I glanced at the two, noting the similarities in frame that they shared with my femme creator, then I searched through my bonds, smiling when I found the bonds I held with them. Sadly, those bonds were severely dimmed, as were all the other bonds I held, by painkillers, which were beginning to wear off.

"Very well," Ratchet grouched, obviously just finishing his argument with Arcee. "I will not argue that fact, but if she gets worse, then the blame is on you three."

"Puh-lease, Ratchet!" Arcee exclaimed, turning the first word into two syllables in her exasperation. "You don't have to have a medical degree to clean off a bot while avoiding their wounds."

"You say that now, but we'll see what you think when you get her in the solvent. Moonstrike, comm. me the klik you feel pain," Ratchet said cryptically. I glanced over at him, then at the adult femmes approaching me.

"I will…" I said slowly. I felt the mech behind me move, and the next klik, I was held bridal-style in Prime's arms.

"Now, I hope you don't expect to stay in the wash racks with us," Arcee stated in a dark voice. Prime scowled.

"Of course not. I will wait outside, feeding Megatron," he replied easily.

"That's what I _thought_," Arcee mumbled under her breath. "Well, let's get this over with."

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><p>Shockwave scowled as he watched his drones search the processor of the captured Wrecker mech. Nothing. Not a single mech knew of Moonstrike's current location. Another dead end. Another failure. He watched without compassion as the mech was shoved to the side and shot through the spark mercilessly. He scowled as he moved away, heading to his office.<p>

It irritated him, this lack of knowledge and movement. He wanted nothing more than to start tearing apart Wrecker compounds and bases in search for his wayward Wreckerling, but he knew that wouldn't get him any closer to finding Moonstrike. If anything, it would make things more difficult. The last thing he needed was for the Wreckers to get torqued enough to strike back. No, for now, he would have to wait. He had been patiently waiting for the last four vorns, so a few more orns was nothing.

He approached his office and scowled at the sight of Rip-Rage standing before his door, waiting for him. Shockwave growled lowly at the knowledge he would have to put up with that slaggin' Wrecker mech for a few more orns. The Wrecker was a good source of information, and if the need arose, he would make a good bargaining chip. Rip-Rage stood straighter when he saw the single-opticed mech approaching.

"I heard of the failure," Rip-Rage said immediately. Shockwave ignored him as he opened the door to his office. "I gave you everything you needed, and you couldn't even do that right!"

"You would do best to watch that mouth of yours. We wouldn't want you to online to find it welded shut," Shockwave replied offhandedly as he glanced at the attack reports from the mechs that had just returned.

"You said Moonstrike would be here once the other mechs returned, and you said nothing of capturing any other Wrecker femmes!" Rip-Rage snarled.

"Feeling guilty, mech? Isn't it a bit late for those emotions?" Shockwave asked rhetorically.

"This was not a part of our agreement, and I –"

"Well, now it is," Shockwave snapped as he leaned over the desk to glare at the younger mech. "This is war, and war _has_ no stipulations. You chose a side, and now you are stuck with your decision, seeing as your Wrecker comrades already know of your crime."

"They… know?" Rip-Rage asked in growing horror.

"Yes, they know. Now, if you wish for me to maintain my side of our agreement, you will drop this ridiculous conscience and give me any information I need to find the femme," Shockwave growled. Rip-rage took a step back and suddenly found the ground very interesting.

"Optimus Prime. She says she's in love with Optimus Prime. Find the prime, and you'll find Moonstrike," he murmured. Shockwave nodded as he fed this new information through his battle computer. So then perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps more raids would be helpful to his plans. He simply needed to draw out the prime, and attacking more cities would definitely get his attention. He returned his gaze to Rip-Rage.

"You are dismissed." Rip-Rage scowled at the implied order, but obeyed it, leaving behind a determined Shockwave to plan their next assault.

Deathfire watched as the _ex-_Wrecker exited Shockwave's office, a contemplative expression on his face. He scowled as he dropped from the ceiling, where he had been perched for the last three breems, awaiting Shockwave's return. He approached Shockwave's office.

"Something has changed," the spy stated as he stood just outside the office door. Shockwave looked at him with an undeciferable expression.

"I am aware of that. I need you to find out just what changed," the scientist and current leader of the Decepticons replied.

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"By doing your job. One of my sources has sent word that the Autobot forces are beginning to band together again. Some of those new Autobots are ex-Decepticons."

"I don't think I like where you're going with this…"

"You will be going undercover into the Autobot forces. You will find a way to get yourself assigned to the same base as Moonstrike, and you will find a way to get her off that base and into my custody."

"… Right. I'll get right on that…" Deathfire said flatly. Shockwave gave a single nod, accompainied by a glare that promised pain should he fail. "Just one thing," Deathfire added as an afterthought.

"What?" Shockwave questioned curtly.

"There's a femme Wrecker… She calls herself Freedom. I want her."

"If you can capture Moonstrike, I will have some of my mechs assist you in your hunt," Shockwave granted. Deathfire grinned.

"Then it will be done," he promised. He turned without being dismissed and sauntered out of the office, a deadly grin on his marred faceplates. He hadn't seen a femme like Freedom before, yet her appearance seemed more exotic than strange to him. He hadn't seen a femme that feisty since his fight with Chromia, either, and he certainly hadn't been bested by a femme in a long time. He slowly lifted a hand to the four long welds on his face that the femme had caused. She would be punished for that, but once he had her broken and tamed, he knew he would have fun with her.

"Freedom," he said with a maniacal smile, "you belong to me."

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><p><strong>XLizardXQueenX:<strong> XD LOL. I have a policy about not getting cocky, cuz nobody wants ta hang around with a cocky person. ;) And glad to make you happy. :) Glad you enjoy the fic

**Annebellelennox:** Lol. Tacos are the best. Living in Texas gives me he luck of having access to amazing Tex-Mex food, too. *love* And she kinda does. It's a glitch in her processor that is caused by her waking up before her processor is completely recharged, or is woken up because of an external threat. Teehee. I love it when I discover new things about my electronics. I was playing with my laptop, and discovered an extra disk-eject button. Totally made my day. ^-^

**Flamingfoxviper:** Heh. I think they learned a little bit ;) And you'll meet the new arrivals _next_ chapter :)

**Clarissalightwood5679:** Thanks for the review. :)

**Starscream's Prime:** Eh heh ^.^'' Sorry. I call people pet names too often. Honey, dear, sugar, sweetheart, and darling are my most-used ones. My bad. And yeah, Sides is a bit of a dunce here. XD

**Jazaline Lupus:** No prob ^-^ Call 'em as I see 'em. :)

**FireReader93:** Right back at'cha! Now I hafta get a job. This should be interesting. And thanks. That was one of my goals for this story. Glad to know I have succeeded. :)

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Indeed ;)

**Kellie Witwicky:** Ya know, I think it could go either way, cuz when I reread it, I was snickering, especially after I read your review. XD Oh, Sides is such an idiot. A very hot and charming idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Thanks! :D I got a face-cake, too! It was yummy. =3= Yeah. Sunny and Sides definitely overstepped some boundaries, but hey, at least we know they won't do it again ;)

**Exactlywhat:** Yup. I actually have their relationship all planned out. We will be having friend rivalries. It will be glorious. *evil smile* Thanks!

**Dreamin'BIG:** I always wanna put an exclamation point at the end of your username, rather than a colon. Weird. I love them, too. Cannot wait to write the chapter in my new fic where Sunny comes in. It'll take a while, though. =_=

**Iceshadow911247**: Congrats! I love it when summer comes around, though I'll have to learn how to better balance my time this year. College and a job. It's a lot more daunting than I thought it would be… I love my Mini-Megatron. X3 I just wanna cuddle 'im close! *sigh*

Oh, my… Darling, your gotta let go at the top of your arc. Like this. *Tosses wrench and hits Dreadwing across the room*

Dreadwing: Slaggit, femme! Go die!

He has anger management issues *eyeroll* But you get the idea. Here. *Hands wrench* have another go. Practice makes perfect ;)

Yeah… Sides has a few judgmental issues….

**Jinxed just in Time:** *snicker* You make me smile with your Prowl-esque sarcasm. ^-^ And I did! They make me wanna review more! *heart* Sadly, I do not think there will be a chance to put in a scene like that, especially since she has to be off her pedes for so long. Sorry. :(

**Allen Kane Steele:** ! I have a friend named Allen Kane! Are you from Texas? Do you remember a blonde cheerleader named Jennifer that hung out with Dylan, the black boy, and Lynn, the sarcastic genius? If not… then I have the wrong person… Anywho, thank you for reviewing! =D And if ya don't know me… well, I'm Jennifer, A.K.A. Lunar Mist. Nice ta mee'cha! Thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback. Hope the chapter was to your liking ;)

**Vivian Hale:** Lol. I haven't decided how I want Prime to punish them, but they do get punished. I'm trying to think of something truly painful… Sarah, my darling sister, has come up with a few suggestions. That child is truly evil. XD Still love 'er, though.

**AlexisOptimus:** Teehee. I have the same problems at night. No, Moon's life kinda sucks right now. It'll get better soon, I swear, it's just that, well, she's a target, and life as a target sucks =_= LOL. It's all good that you missed a review. :) I normally don't review after my first review, cuz that first review is normally a full critique of said fic. I haven't even been doing that lately… I need to get back to that… :) And I never ignore a review. They all have a special place in my heart, whether they are written by tired readers or not ;)

**Angel897:** Thanks for the review. Glad you liked it :)

**Autobot-Bre: **Eh heh, yeah, just a little ;) She's got that momma bear-er, I mean cat- thing going on.

**Transformers girl 1234:** ^-^ I good at makin' cookies, too. Glad you liked =D

**Linariel:** *entranced eyes* long review! *o*

Yeah, I think the Jazz dream scene in this is the most risqué I'll get, and if I do write any worse, it won't be by much. You see, I make everything kid-friendly because I have a little sister that reads my stuff, and I read this story and my others to the kids I babysit (ages 8 and 5, and I cut out the kissy-kissy stuffs for them) so I have to be careful what I write. It freaked me out to find my sister reading a fic that was rated K, yet it had a fully described rape scene in it. Plus, as you said, whenever you cut out sex and crap, it makes for a sweeter relationship, because then, you know it's love and not lust.

My thoughts exactly. It does kinda suck for Moon, but at least she knows what she's up against. I think I'd feel safer knowing he only wanting me to be his child rather than for torture or something. I'm aiming for 60 to 70 chapters on this fic. We'll see… I can see this being a half-way point, though… I gotta finish this so I can publish my other one, complete my sparkling ones, and start my novel, whatever that'll be about =_=

I always saw him as the overprotective type, especially after Elita died. Seems to fit his personality. :)

Teehee. I giggled when I thought of making Prime fall off the berth. That was written at five a.m., so I was rather… well, everything funny happens early in the morning or late at night…

THANK YOU! Your comment on Prime's character totally made my day. I was dealing with… people when I read that, and I squealed with happiness. That was exactly what I was going for! It's good to know that. Well, good for me, but maybe not good for y'all… eh heh…

I had fun working out the kinks of what her new alternate programming would include. It's nice to know that y'all all like her super-momma-lion-mode. You will certainly be seeing more of it, and not necessarily in a good way.

Lol. You're getting out on break from college and I'm about to start up on the process of finishing my enrollment to community college. XD Glad the advice helped ya. I love being able to help people, especially when I've experienced the same problems :)

And I love long reviews! Make them as long as you want! :D

**Mschriber67:** Thanks! :) And, they're gonna find out next chapter. Let the angst begin! Okay, well, maybe not. I kinda suck at angst. That's next fic. ;)

**StarBlazer Luvs Sweet12:** Thanks, and yeah. Heh. She's a danger magnet…

**Fanmanbookman:** :) Sorry to make ya wait. D:

**CatGirlFireflare:** Thanks for the feedback! Glad you like it, and thank you for your compliments! I work hard on it, and the positive feedback makes it all worth it. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. :)

**Random Reader:** Thanks! Lol. Yeah, I've come to love Ratchet. He's so much fun to write! And Optimus has to work under some pretty irritating conditions, but time and experience has taught him well. :)

Sideswipe is Sideswipe… 'Nuff said ;D

And here's a Shockwave scene. :) he's plotting in the background. :D

**Tenko Kugen:** 'Kay. It'll take me time, though, which I have none of right now. I need to search my playlist for a good song :)

:) Moon is fun to write. I'm still trying to get back into my sparkling writing mood… I got a flame on that, which pissed me off, so I'm still working at it… I will, eventually, but until then… :(

**A Wiccan:** LOL. Too true. Too true.

**Chistarpax:** ! Love your profile picture! Kagamine Len is so fraggin' adorable! Personally, I like Kaito a bit more, but Len is still amazing! 'Specially in "Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder". *love*

Thanks for the review! I am Jennifer, nice ta mee'cha! Glad you like it! I am amazed that you wuld spend that much time on one fic, and I am honored that it was mine. :) I am pleased that you love my OC, seeing as so few OCs are liked, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic. :) Thanks for the compliments and the review! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

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><p>Before you all start freaking out about Ratchet, understand that he's looking at it from a medical point of view. His bathing Moonstrike would be no different than a nurse bathing an injured person, if anything it's not even that bad. Ratchet had a sparkmate, and she died. Moonstrike is just another patient to him, and he'd prefer she was bathed by medical personnel because she was recently injured and the last thing he needs is her to get cleaning solvent into her systems, especially into a recently patched primary and secondary energon line. Catch my drift? And Prime is fighting possessive subroutes that tell him that some other mech is trying to deal with his femme, and naturally, he's going to refuse to leave his unprotected prospective mate with a mech when she is vulnerable like that. Nothing sexual about it. It's more along the lines of (Ratchet) This femme needs to be clean, and I am the only medic here that can get her clean without screwing up her patches, and (Prime) I must protect my mate.<p>

Then you have Arcee, who's just RAWR! XD

Oh! And another thing! Arcee, Chromia, and Flareup have always been sisters, but were separated suring the war. If I get more than five reviews questioning this, then I will further explain. :)

Review!


	39. New mechs and friendship talks

**We are now entering the last arc of Through a Cybercat's Optics! :D**

1) Okay... Y'all took Deathfire's intentions a bit wrongly. Deathfire doesn't have a crush on her, guys. He's a con. He doesn't wanna mate with her. Deathfire is probably the darkest character in this fic because of his intentions with Freedom. You see, Freedom gave him four lovely scars across his faceplate... he doesn't love her for that. You see. When he said that he would break and tame her, then have fun with her... he's going to torture her and turn her into a slave or a pet. He doesn't have a sort of twisted love. He just likes a challenge, and breaking a bloodthirsty Wrecker femme would be a very good challenge. And the thing about her being his is making fun of her cat ears. He doesn't have too much sexual stuff planned. Only torture. Hope that clears that up...

2) Please pray for my family. My mother lost her job, and so we are having to live off my father's pay. So pray that my mother gets a job and pray that I can get a job. A word to the wise, younger generation: getting a job is HARD, and this is coming from a girl from Texas. In case, y'all don't know, Texas has the lowest unemployment rate in America...

3) Another misconception... So, Imma just list the relationships to Moonstrike real fast for all y'all, cuz we're mixing everything up here...

Optimus: romantic interest; Jazz: Best friend that likes to flirt; Soundwave: pack master; Chem: guardian (though Moon doesn't completely know about the bond); Rip-Rage: childhood friend that fell in love; Shockwave: enemy that wants Moonstrike as a creation; Sunny and Sides: two mechs... Sides wants Moon to get together with Prime. Sunny... is dragged along unwillingly; Deathfire: Angry 'Con that wants to torment Moonstrike for revenge

I think that's all. She only has two love interests: Prime and Rip-Rage. Please, please, please don't add more on. Poor Moon already has enough to deal with.

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><p>Chapter 39<p>

New Bots and Talks of Friendship

5,322 words

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><p>"As I said, she's perfectly fine. Primus, medic, are you <em>always<em> this glitchy?"

"When it comes to my more seriously damaged patients, yes!"

"Moonstrike is perfectly fine! I believe I can take care of my own creation, thank you."

"Not when she just got out of intensive care! Slag, she should _still_ be in intensive care!"

"Uhmm. I'm right here, you know…"

"Mute it!" I flinched back from the identical fierce glares Ratchet and Arcee sent my way at the shared order. I felt Optimus chuckling from where my back was settled against his chest. He was, once again, standing behind me, right up against the berth so I could lean my back against him.

"If she's still hurt, then you shouldn't have let her leave!"

"Easier said than done when the overprotective mate is the Prime!"

"Ratchet, you assured me she would be okay as long as she did not walk or lift anything up," Optimus said with a frown.

"That is irrelevant to this argument! Kindly keep your opinions to yourself!" Ratchet snarled.

"Yeah, Prime," I interjected playfully. "Stop tearing apart his arguments against my danniluk. Ow!" I yelped when a wrench collided with my helm. Optimus's engine revved angrily, but Ratchet ignored it in favor of scanning me. I grimaced at how strong the scan was. Not painful, but it made my injuries sting a bit. He grabbed my right elbow gently, yet firmly and pulled it to himself. I watched in fascination as Ratchet gently pried the patch off my arm, exposing my primary and secondary energon lines. He scanned the lines before giving a short hum of approval. He pulled a thick, yet flexible metal scrap out of his subspace and allowed his pointer finger to transform into a size four detail welder, a welder used for small welds on the outside of a protoform. The scrap was welded on over the wound, and I watched as Ratchet walked around the berth as he transformed the welder back into a finger.

"You're healing faster than I expected. That seal should be absorbed into your protoform as it heals. It should be completely healed in two more solar cycles. I believe you are safe in lifting _small_ objects with that arm. As for this left arm…" Ratchet trailed off as he finished scanning my left shoulder joint. "Your frame is still trying to produce coding and such for this new joint. It will remain sore for a few more cycles, and you cannot lift up anything for another three cycles."

"Slag," I mumbled. Ratchet looked up at me with a scowl as he moved to my leg.

"Perhaps next time, you won't go running into danger, will you, youngling?" he snipped. I scowled right back at him.

"I am _not_ a youngling," I hissed.

"Your behavior proves otherwise. Now, let's see this leg," he shot back as he scanned my leg. The hum he gave this time was rather worrisome.

"Ratchet? Why did you make that sound…?" I questioned. He grimaced as he looked back at me.

"Your protoform is not accepting the metal implant I put in last solar cycle," he said lowly as he examined my lower leg. I stared at him waiting for him to continue.

"Meaning…?" I prodded when he didn't continue. He glanced up at me before scanning my leg from a different angle and with a stronger scan.

"I'll have to take you offline, replace the metal again, and hope it takes. Nothing else I can really do. I don't have a different kind of metal here at this time. I'm still restocking this place, so I will get in contact with one of my friends that has… well, he tends to collect scrap metal with the impression that he might use it."

"I…see…" I said slowly, not really knowing what to think.

"There is no reason to worry, my love. Ratchet is good at what he does," Optimus murmured in my audio amplifier, which twitched backwards at the sound.

"Well, that is all for this check-up. The metal should be here at sunrise, so come here next solar cycle after the second joor and before the third," Ratchet stated, an obvious dismissal.

"Very good," Optimus replied as he lifted me into his arms again. "I have newly arriving mechs to greet, and Megatron currently wishes to see his danni."

With that, Optimus left the medbay, where Flare-up was starting another argument with Ratchet. I cocked my helm at this, feeling a bit of her excitement, desire, and longing through the miniscule bond I shared with her via my femme creator. '_Well, what do you know? My aunt has a thing for Ratchet.' _I gave a small smirk at that thought. Well, perhaps a femme would give Ratchet something to be happy about.

The halls were no longer empty, though they were still rather sparse compared to what the last occupancy had been during the war. A few mechs I recognized moved through the halls, while some I didn't recognize at all. It was a kaleidoscope of mechs a femmes. There were a few with red optics, a few more with the purple optics of ex-Neutrals, and three times as many blue optics as both of those combined. There were femmes, mechs, younglings, and pre-adults. Some were flyers, most were grounders, and I could've sworn I saw a Seeker at a hallway crossing.

"So many. Did you greet all these bots?" I asked with wide optics. Optimus chuckled.

"Most of them. I will admit that a lot of these are actually just families of the mechs that will be staying with us."

"Will the families remain here?" I questioned.

"A few. Most will return to their normal lives, only visiting on specified cycles," Optimus replied.

"Oh… I see," I said slowly, not really understanding that concept. After all, at a Wrecker base, every member of a family unit stayed with the rest of the Community. It was unheard of for a family unit to live away from the mech that was fighting to protect them. After all, if they were away, what did the mech have t come home to every cycle? I grimaced as Optimus strode into the rec room, which was now filled. There was still plenty of room to move around, but every seat was taken.

"Well, well, well. Lookey there, Bee! It's the li'l femme we found in Iacon!" a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, Optimus Prime!" a younger, equally familiar voice cried. Optimus paused in his steps and turned to face the two mechs that had just made their way through the crowd and were in the process of stopping in front of them.

"Greetings, Hound and Bumblebee," Optimus said evenly, a warm smile on his face.

"It's been a while, Prime," Hound replied with a smirk.

"Hey," Bumblebee said, looking at me. I frowned and offered a small "hi?"

"I don' think she r'members us," Hound claimed.

"No, I do. You two called Chemical," I stated. "I think," I added as an afterthought.

"Not quite. Your li'l sym-bye-ote did," Hound replied with a friendly smile.

"Oh. Socius did? Huh…" I muttered.

"Is tha' li'l critter still 'round?"

"No, actually. He's—"

"That is a story for another time, sweetspark," Optimus interrupted. I frowned up at him, but was ignored.

"So what's wrong with you now? Why is Prime carrying you?" Bumblebee questioned.

"I'm… well, I tend to get hurt. My leg was injured during a Decepticon attack," I explained with a sheepish smile. Hound's gaze darkened, and Bumblebee scowled.

"I'd hoped the war was over. Jus' what _is_ the story, Prime? What started ev'rythang?"

"We will be having a meeting over that soon. In two breems, in fact." Optimus frowned down at me. "We must take you to Kup. He agreed to keep an optic on you while I attended this meeting."

"Are you sure I won't hurt myself while I talk to him?" I asked dryly. Optimus smirked.

"If that is what you fear, I can allow you to sit on my lap while I debrief everybot here and give them updates on the current situation."

"Gee, Prime. As tempting as it is, I think I'll stay with Kup instead," I said in a deadpan voice. Optimus grinned.

"Good femme."

"Please. I am _hardly_ a petro-hound," I retorted, my tail twitching at the insinuation.

"Of course not," Prime replied. **::You are simply my cyberkitten:: -Optimus Prime**

"Prime!" a young voice exclaimed as a young gray and red mech scurried to stand beside Bumblebee. His blue optics showed the same innocence that the yellow mech's beside him did, and I frowned at the knowledge that these two young mechs were entering a war again.

"Greetings, Bluestreak," Prime began, but the gray mech jumped into the small gap Optimus left open.

"Hi, Prime! It's been a while since I've been here! Well, I mean, I came here a few vorns ago to transfer Teletraan to another sight, but it's weird to be here because of war again. I can't believe so many bots came here to fight for us! There's even a few Decepticons here! I didn't think there would be Decepticons here, even though I guess this is their war, too, but the ex-Decepticons I talked to were kinda rude to me, calling me names, but Sideswipe and Sunstreaker shut them up. Sunstreaker is still scary, but I think Sideswipe freaked them out more, 'cause Sideswipe fights like Sunstreaker in the field and—"

"Hey," I broke in. Bluestreak cut off and looked at me, obviously just noticing me. His blue optics widened comically as he studied me. "Sorry to interrupt, but Prime and I have to be going. Prime will be right back, but I have to go find Kup."

"Prime, is this your sparkmate?"

Just like that, the room went completely silent. I shuttered my optics when I realized that every mech and femme in the room was suddenly scrutinizing me. I vented heavily, happy that my vents were now completely unclogged, and unshuttered my optics to look at my intended.

"Hey, Optimus?" I asked loudly, easily catching his attention. "This is our cue to leave."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" a red minibot exclaimed as he moved toward us. "You mean to tell us your planning on bonding with this… thing?" he asked incredulously.

"I'll have you know that this _thing_ can claw your optics out!" I snapped.

"How can you bond with something that threatens your own mechs!" the red bot cried, looking at Optimus.

"Perhaps if you did not insult her first, you would not be on the receiving end of said threats," Prime rumbled, glaring at the smaller bot.

"Yeah, and you best not be insulting a Wrecker with other Wreckers in the area!" Hot Rod interjected from across the room. I looked over at him and grinned.

"Nice ta see ya, Hot-helm!" I called out.

"Right back at-cha, Miss-strike*!" he called back.

"She's a Wrecker?" the red bot asked suddenly, glaring at me. "You want to make a _Wrecker_ the Prime's mate?"

"I do not believe that is your, or anybot else's, decision to make, Cliffjumper. I believe who I mate is my business, not yours. Now, Soundwave," Optimus called out. The cassette deck rose to his pedes, effectively startling half of the mechs and femmes there.

"How does he _do_ that?" one mech muttered, while another mumbled about the mech's trustworthiness.

"I believe you offered to take Moonstrike to Kup and Streamshot?" Optimus questioned.

"Affirmative," Soundwave droned as he stepped forward to take me. The four mechs standing in front of Prime scattered as Soundwave stepped in to take their place. I was effortlessly transferred from Prime's arms to Soundwave's. Prime ran a hand down the side of my helm affectionately, smiling as he cupped my cheek plating.

"I will come get you once this meeting is over," he promised as he moved toward the front of the room.

"Hey!" I called out, catching his attention. "Aren't you forgetting something? Or perhaps, somebot?" Optimus frowned as he tried to decipher who I was talking about. I gave an exasperated sigh. **::I can lift things up with my right hand, now, and I would like to hold a certain mechling:: -Moonstrike**

"Ah," Optimus said as he moved back to us. "I will return momentarily," he called back to the room and he exited, Soundwave following behind him. Once the door closed behind us, Optimus opened his chest plating and quickly retrieved a small wriggling bundle of wires from his hold. Megatron clicked and squeaked excitedly as he looked around. Then his little red optics landed on me.

"Mine!" he called out excitedly. "My danni!" His speech then dissolved into excited twitters and clicks. Optimus smiled gently as he deposited the little mechling in my chest on his stomach. My right hand immediately covered the little mech, who rolled over and started gnawing on my thumb.

"Take care of them, Soundwave," Optimus ordered.

"Acknowledged."

"Very good. I will see you in a few breems, my love," Optimus stated. I smiled and nodded my farewell to him.

"Danni!" Megatron chirped, wanting all his femme creator's attention to himself. I rolled my optics at his antics and complied with his demands for attention as Soundwave made his way down the hallway. Awkward silence filled the hallway, broken only by Megatron clicks and trills.

"So…" I began. "How are you liking it here?"

"Base: well-guarded."

"Oh… And have you made any new friends?" I grimaced the second the sentence left my mouth. Primus, I sounded like a femme creator making conversation while picking up her creation after the first day at the Youngling Academy!

"Autobots: self-righteous and prejudice. Chances of building friendships: non-existant."

"Oh. Well, I'm on your side if they pick fights," I claimed with a smile.

"Statement: understandable. Definition of a good pet: supports master."

"I'm _not_ your pet!" I snapped.

"Statement: incorrect. Argument: dropped."

"Argument dropped? Slag, no! We are gonna talk this out, mech!"

"Further pursuit of settled argument: illogical."

"We never settled it!"

"Statement: incorrect. Conclusion of argument: Moonstrike: Soundwave's pet."

"Is not! An argument comes to a conclusion when the two opposing parties _agree_ on something. We don't agree on that!"

"Moonstrike: illogical."

"_What?_"

"Danni!"

"Yes, Megatron. I hear you."

"My danni!"

"Yes, I am."

"My danni."

"We established that."

"Mine."

"Indeed."

"Love my danni."

I all but melted into a pile of goo at that sentence. Megatron accented his claimed of love by cuddling down against my spark and repeating his sentence. I cuddled the little mech with my right hand, bending down to nuzzle my helm against his. He twittered happily at the attention, drawing a smile from me. It was official. My mech creation was the cutest mech creation on all of Cybertron, even if he was an ex-evil warlord.

Soundwave continued on his path wordlessly. I was sorely tempted to coo up at him to see if I would get a response, but I didn't want to chance him recording it, so I remained silent, only doting on my little sparklet. Soundwave turned into a room, and I jolted at the sound of a femme squeal.

"Moonstrike!" the familiar vocals of Streamshot exclaimed. I looked over to see that we were in the private quarters of, well, I knew it was a femme. No mech with any self-worth would paint his room _this_ shade of magenta. I grimaced as I looked around at the very feminine accents. There was a strip of gold cloth magnetized to the berth, and long red streamers hung down from each corner of said berth. The walls, where there was not pink, was covered in posters of famous mech models that were shown modeling the newest armor upgrades and color combinations. Her desk was silver and the chair that went with it was (thankfully) black; however, I didn't miss the picture of Jazz that was magnetized to the top of the desk. The shelves held holocubes that alternated with pictures of her family unit, pictures of her friends, and pictures of multiple cute mechs she had taken covert pictures of whenever she saw them randomly in public. On the table right beside her berth was a lamp and a single holocube that alternated pictures of me and her together, and the two of us together with her brother, a testament to our close and life-long friendship.

And in the middle of it all, seated on the floor and magnetizing more photos, was Streamshot. She stared at us expectantly, waiting for Soundwave to put me down. I glanced up at the mech holding me, and grimaced when I caught sight of the poster magnetized to the ceiling of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Primus help me.

"If you set me down, you can come back later."

"Optimus Prime's orders: do not leave Moonstrike alone."

"She won't be alone. She'll be with me," Streamshot announced primly. I looked over at her, then back at Soundwave.

"Besides, I thought you were taking me to Kup," I added.

"Kup: temporarily indisposed. Arcee: force to be reckoned with."

"Slag, yeah. Never mess with a Wrecker femme," Streamshot noted, turning her attention back to her task at hand. "Now, shoo, evil mech, and let me spend some time with my femme."

"Moonstrike: mine."

"Mine!" Megatron squeaked happily, looking up at Soundwave proudly at the mention of his word. Soundwave looked down at Megatron silently before looking back at Streamshot, who was now openly glaring at him.

"Look here, 'Con. Me and Moon haven't talked for—"

"Correction: Moon and I." I could swear I saw Stream's optic twitch.

"_Moonstrike and I_," she repeated emphatically, "Have not had a good talk since the attack, and she is in need of a chat."

"Inquiry: how did Wrecker Streamshot reach conclusion?"

"She's been hanging out with Ratchet and Optimus Prime. Believe me, I know what my femme needs," Streamshot stated flatly. Soundwave didn't argue with that.

"Correction: Moonstrike: not Wrecker Streamshot's. Moonstrike: mine."

"My danni!" Megatron looked at me with joy and snuggled against the armor covering my spark. "Love my danni."

"She doesn't belong to anybot, and if you wanna keep this up, I can comm. Optimus. I bet he'd _love_ to hear your views on her," Streamshot snapped, optics flashing dangerously.

"Blackmail: useless. Moonstrike: no—"

"Enough!" I snapped, earning a surprised squeak from Megatron. "Soundwave, set me down and leave. Come back in a breem. Streamshot, stop baiting my friends. Soundwave's views on what is his are immensely different than yours."

"Prime's orders:—"

"Don't start with me, mech. I can sic Arcee, Chromia, _and_ Chemical on you," I threatened. There were a few beats of silence. Streamshot looked utterly confused while Soundwave appeared to be contemplating a way out of this threat. Well, at least, I was pretty sure he was. It was hard to tell with the facemask and visor. Megatron, for his part, didn't appear to notice the sudden silence. He was too busy studying his newly discovered pedes with utter fascination.

"Threat: viable… Soundwave will comply." On the outside, I only smirked. On the inside, I was cheering like I had single-handedly defeated the Fallen. And yes, winning an argument with Soundwave was somehow on par with defeating the Fallen. I was fairly certain any other mech would completely agree. Soundwave gently set me on the ground, ever careful of my injuries. "Ravage: eject. Mission: protect cyberkitten."

Ravage flew from his chest compartment as he pressed a button on his shoulder. The cassette swiftly transformed into the form of the black-plated sentient cybercat. He landed lithely on his paws and padded back to my side. He plopped down in a sickeningly graceful manner, curling around my back so that his head rested on my thigh while his body supported my back. I looked up at Soundwave with a deadpan expression.

"You're trying to make a point, aren't you?" I questioned. Soundwave let out a ridiculously creepy chuckle.

"Soundwave: superior. Moonstrike: should not challenge pack master," Soundwave stated as he left.

"You aren't my master, _you dolt!_" I yelled the correction at him right as the door closed. I looked over at Streamshot who was sending me a look that questioned my sanity. "What?" I asked defensively.

"Only you would insult a torture specialist."

"Neh, I'm safe. Pet," I stated with a grin. Streamshot rolled her optics. "Now," I began with a sly smile. "Tell me why you only have _one_ picture of Jazz in here."

* * *

><p>"Primus, this place is big," the ex-Decepticon mumbled as he moved through the empty hallways. He had applied for the base only a few cycles ago, and he knew the meeting was being held a quarter breem ago. He glanced down an intersection only to find (surprise, surprise) another empty hallway which he was certain led to nowhere, just like all these fraggin' halls seemed to. "Rec room, rec room. Where is the rec room?" he asked the empty air as he perused another hallway.<p>

"Hello?" he called down the hallway. He didn't receive a reply. He groaned heavily. "I'm gonna make such a bad impression on these mechs."

"Ya already made one. You were late t' the meetin'," a deep voice stated. The 'Con nearly jumped out of his armor as he whirled around to face his foe. The silver Autobot before him was… well, very short, barely coming up to his spark chamber. A visor guarded his optics, and a smirk was settled on his mouthplates. "Sorry, mech. Didn' mean ta spook ya."

"Primus! My apologies. Habit, I'm afraid," the ex-'Con said sheepishly. The silver mech grinned.

"I c'n dig tha'," he said easily. The Decepticon frowned. Why was this mech "digging" anything? Before he could ask, the mech continued talking. "I'm Jazz, head a' Special Ops an' T-i-C."

"Ah. Definitely heard of you. Shouldn't you… be in… that meeting? You know?" the mech asked hesitantly as he gesturing mildly with his hands. Jazz's grin only grew.

"Wha' part a' 'head a' Special Ops' didn' you unduhstan'? Ev'rythin' Prime is tellin' those mechs, I know. Slag, I _discovered_ half a' his infuhmation."

"So… Could you explain the situation to avoid my embarrassingly late entrance into the, um, hidden rec room?" Jazz laughed at this.

"Sure thing, mech. If you'd follow meh to mah super-stylin' office, I'll give ya the full low-down," Jazz said, putting an arm around the mech's shoulders. "By the way, what's yo'r name?"

"Oh, Quickdeath," the mech replied. Jazz snorted.

"Intimidating name," he noted.

"Decepticon names tend to be so."

"Don' s'ppose you'd let meh call ya 'Quicky'?"

"No."

"Then 'Deathy' it is!"

"Oh, Primus help me."

* * *

><p>"Okay. Let me get this right… You thought Jazz had a thing for me, so you went after Hot Rod, who turned you down for Straight-Shot, so you went for Waylaid, who turned out to have recently bonded, so you're shooting for Sunstreaker or Sideswipe now…"<p>

"Exactly! Only, now that I know Jazz and you are only friends—"

"You and Jazz. The 'you' has to go first," I corrected instinctively. Streamshot sent me a dark gaze, remaining silent for a few kliks to ensure that I got the point. "Sorry. I won't interrupt again."

"Thank you," she said crisply as she returned to her work. Since she had been explaining her past few temporary loves to me, she had been further decorating her room. Now, the ceiling was almost completely filled with pictures of Jazz, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker, and I could only stare, completely creeped out by my friend's mech-crazy obsessions as she stood on her chair to hang up the second to last one. "As I was saying… Now that I know Jazz and you are only friends, I can move my sights back onto him." I wondered idly if I should inform my best friend that her chances of getting with one of her Three Most Admired Mechs were slim to none. Jazz was too much of a femme's mech to settle down just yet, and Sunny and Sides, seeing as they were a single spark, would have to share a sparkmate. I was fairly certain Sunstreaker would murder Sideswipe if he bonded with someone as… well, with Streamshot.

"Streams… what if you don't get one of these mechs?" I asked. Streamshot paused to consider this, hands still holding the magnetized photo. She suddenly grinned.

"Then that suddenly opens up the rest of the mech population," she said succinctly as she allowed the photo to cling to the ceiling. Nope. I was not saying a word about her chances with Jazz or the twins. Cybertron was not ready for a mech-target-free Streamshot. I could only imagine the chaos.

"Danni? Where 'Wave?" Megatron suddenly chirped. Streamshot let out a short "awww" at the sound of Megatron's voice, as she did every time he chose to speak.

"Soundwave is busy," I replied, moving my tail again. I had kept him entertained the last breem and a half by tickling his nose with my tail. He was completely captivated with the appendage, and he loved catching it. Once he had it in hand, he would move it closer to his optics in intense concentration, only for it to wiggle free of his grasp. In honesty, the little mech proved to have a very strong grip, and he faced the game with a single-minded determination. It was actually rather cute.

"Mine," Megatron mumbled as he went for my tail again.

"He's so cute!" Streamshot squealed as she lifted up her last picture.

"I know, and I get to keep him," I gloated. Streamshot grinned over at me.

"Doesn't mean you can't share," she retorted with a grin. My amplifiers pressed back against my helm at that statement. I didn't trust the flighty femme with my sparkling, even if she _was_ my best friend. I turned my attention back to Megatron when he caught my tail again. This time, the appendage went into his mouth, bringing laughter to my mouth.

"That's not edible, my spark," I said with a chuckle as I pulled the appendage from his mouth.

"_Soundwave is approaching,"_ Ravage stated. I glanced over at the door just as it opened. Soundwave stepped into the room and immediately moved to my side.

"I suppose asking for a few more breems would be pointless?" I asked dryly.

"Optimus Prime: waiting in quarters for Moonstrike," Soundwave announced. I grinned at this.

"Then by all means, carry me to my noble warrior," I chirped. Soundwave wordlessly wrapped an arm around my shoulder and another under my knees before lifting me effortlessly. I waved to Streamshot as I shouted out a farewell and went silent as we left her room. There were a few more mechs and femmes in the halls now, everybot trying to get to their room or to their newly assigned post. Megatron looked around at all the new faces with fascination before he looked up at my current mode of transportation.

"My 'Wave!" Megatron cheered. Soundwave didn't reply, but I was certain he sent something through the guardian bond, if Megatron's random giggle fit was anything to judge by.

"_Master, perhaps a bit more speed would be wise. We are attracting quite a bit of attention," _Ravage claimed from he was following Soundwave's pedes.

"_What do you expect? The Decepticon's ex-Third in Command and torture specialist is toting around the established intended mate of the Prime. I'd stare, too,"_ I replied, completely ignoring the looks _I_ was getting.

"_Touché."_

**::Hey, Soundwave. Could you watch Megs these two lunar cycles? Prime can come get him tomorrow, but we really need some alone time where I'm actually conscious and Ratchet isn't hovering over our shoulders:: -Moonstrike**

**::Affirmative:: -Soundwave**

We stopped in front of a door in a semi-deserted hallway, and Soundwave set me on my feet. I glanced to my left and right, knowing that this room was very close to the command center, the security room, and the weaponry room. It was curious that there weren't many mechs moving through here..

"Balance on left leg," Soundwave instructed. I obeyed easily, using my tail to balance myself. "Rotary blades: finished repairs. Chemical: in charge of reattaching them."

"Okay."

"Ravage: return," Soundwave ordered. The cassette immediately complied, and I then turned my sparkling over to the large tape deck. He lifted Megatron into his holding area where he kept his cassettes and briskly raised a hand to knock one Prime's door. It only took Prime a few kliks to answer. His gaze softened when it landed on me, and I smiled back.

"Thank you, Soundwave." Soundwave simply nodded and walked away. Prime gently lifted me into his arms and carried me across the threshold and straight to his berth room at the back of the private quarters. I couldn't deny that the quarters was amazing. The front part was a sort of greeting area with a couch, two chairs, and a holoprojector to watch movies and such. To the right of that was a large open kitchen area complete with a warming center to warm energon. I could see jars filled with metal shavings and liquids that could be used to spice up energon. To the left of the greeting room appeared to be an office area, complete with desk, chair, and seven stack of datapads. I grimaced at that. The berthroom was large, to say the least. Offlined holocubes filled the shelves, and his extra-wide and extra-long berth stood in the exact center of said room. To the right was a private washrack, and to the left was a closet that likely held a cleaning drone.

"Wow… Your quarters is much bigger than Streamshot's," I informed him with a grin. Optimus smirked at this.

"Am I to assume that you like the space?" he asked.

"Of course. It will give our sparklings more room to play. Assuming you want sparklings, of course," I added. Optimus smiled.

"As soon as you are safe, you can have as many sparklings as you want," he purred. "Now, I'm certain you are tired…" he claimed as he sat me on the berth. "I have a bit of work to do before I recharge." I quickly grabbed his arm as he began to turn away, and I pulled him back, though he didn't really put up much of a fight.

"Optimus, aren't you tired?" I asked with a frown. Optimus gave an apologetic smile.

"No, my love. I am perfectly capable of staying online for another joor or two," he replied. I gave a, well, what I hoped was a seductive smile as I pulled myself onto my knees so that I saw him optic-to-optic.

"Let's change that," I whispered, and I kissed him. He seemed surprised at first, but that didn't keep him from deepening the kiss. I felt both of his arms twine around my back, one finding a grip on my lower back and the other moving to the back of my helm. He vented heavily as he pulled my body flush against his. Then he suddenly pulled back.

"We shouldn't be doing this. You need to recover, and I need to work," Optimus breathed. I gave a smirk.

"I believe I could put your time to _much_ better use," I purred as I kissed him again, but he immediately pulled back, more reluctantly this time.

"Moon, you're injured, and Ratchet—"

"I trust you, my love. Bond with me. Here. Now," I ordered. Optimus's engine rumbled.

"Megatron—"

"Is with Soundwave. I've been planning this all day, Prime," I murmured. I grinned when I saw all his arguments fade from his optics as he climbed onto the berth beside me.

"Very well," he said huskily. I grinned as I kissed him again. This was gonna be a good lunar cycle.

* * *

><p><strong>Vivian Hale:<strong> Lol. I agree. This is why I had her call in the femmes. XD I love how Sideswipe's name alone describes _so_ _many_ things. XD So many emotions can be attributed to that name. Anger, annoyance, desire, amusement. Oh, Sideswipe, your reputation is amazing.

**AlexisOptimus:** I had a feeling everyone would understand Prime's and Ratchet's views, but I just had to be sure. Didn't want a whole bunch of reviews commenting on how perverted the two mechs were *eyeroll* XD And don't worry. Next chapter, Moonstrike won't have a doubt in her mind ;)

Yes, Rip-Rage is definitely having second thoughts, but how will that change the plot? What twist is Lunar Mist planning on adding in? 0.0

Yeah. I have to drive today. Not looking forward to it, but it's something every teen has to deal with eventually. *sigh*

**Cairistona:** *gasp* My non-biological sister! *Glomp* You have returned! I has missed you! Here, Chemical hug you, too. Come hither, Chem! … Okay, I think he's working with Perceptor on something right now… You get hug later! :D

Lol. Really? You didn't like the Jazz-man? Don't let him hear you say that… He may cry, or he may pursue you endlessly until you admit undying love for him. Primus, I am so fraggin hyper! I swear! Sorry if this reply doesn't make _ANY_ logical sense. Teehee. Ashes, ashes, Prowl falls down! XD You see? Cuz Prowl, and no logic, and hyperness, and haaaaa *wipes tear* I crack myself up. Anywho, glad to cause you to join the Jazz fanclub ^-^

Eh heh! I see what you did there! Rip Rip-Rage in rage! Ha! You crack me up, too! XD

Definitely illogical…

And noooo… Deathfire is kinda… well, not prepared. Poor mech will have an interesting time once he shows up. Very interesting.

Thanks! My Author's Notes are specifically there so that I have somewhere to channel my random thoughts as I write. I literally have a pad of paper beside my computer as I write this, and any random thought that comes up is written down and placed in my AN. :D

Bye for now!

**Chistarpax:** XD Well, your profile pic is of a guy name Kagamine Len. He's a Vocaloid. :) I love it when I find OCs that are likeable. It's annoying because if I don't start liking the OC in the first or second chapter, I normally won't finish the fic. A character flaw of mine, I guess. Thank you. :)

**Angel897:** Thanks. Glad you liked it :)

**Amai Seishin-Hime:** :) Not quite. It will be interesting to see who wins. It will definitely be this chapter, though. Ooh. I know what you mean. I never review when I'm sick. Slag, I'm trying to get back in the habit of reviewing at all. -_- Thanks for taking the time to give the feedback, though :)

**XLizardXQueenX:** XD Dunno about that, but I'll take it. ;) Nope. Moonstrike's last visit to Shockwave was… I think the solar cycle before her frame upgrades? Two before? Something to that effect.

**Iceshadow911247:** RUN! I shall cover you! Ratchet! A human is dying! Over there! Rush to his side before he dies! Slowly. Painfully.

XD I love the differing reactions to that dream. Some are creeped out, some are jealous. Lol. And Ratchet has learned that it is not always wise to argue with the opposite gender. Silly mech. May Flare-up have mercy on you. XD

**Jinxed just in Time:** I know, right! I love the fights between Cap. And Stark! And Stark's one-liners! XD Love, love, love! I liked watching Black Widow fight (because I'm an action film fan), but I didn't like her character, but then again, I just don't like Scarlett Johansson. Had somebody else played Black Widow, I probably would've liked her character.

**Erin Primette:** Sadly, he is -_-

**Autobot-Bre:** He doesn't know yet. I'm sure he'll find out, though. And be pissed. Yeah… He'll probably be angry… just a little bit…

**Jeanette Hetfield:** I know! My dream come true! Well, almost. My biggest dream is to get a positive review from Daemonickitten and/or Faecat, as I am a very strong fan for both of them. :)

Yeah, I dunno how far back they went on the e-mail list. I found out about it via e-mail and through the Temple Gossip Grapevine. What was your graduating class? I think the farthest back I saw was the class of 2008... and I think there were only three from that class. Most of the alumni I didn't recognize because I was in middle school when they went to the school. You know, the days when high schoolers were cool, but there was an unspoken rule that you don't talk to them cuz it messes with their groove? Yeah. Then a lot of people from my brother's class were there. Class of 2009. And no. I actually don't have them lined up at all. -_- I'm… well, I really want to be a model or a writer, and I'm so focused on those dreams that I keep forgetting about everything else. I have to take the ACCUplacer for math, and I have to go through orientation. Then I'm set. :)

XD That was what I was going for. I can't comprehend just pure evil, because I can't understand killing for pleasure. I'm a logical person, and killing other people for fun registers as illogical to me, and I simply cannot write a character like that. I'm trying to get there, because I figure I'll have to write that later in my life, but still… For Shockwave, I'm gonna keep to the creep factor.

I have to admit that I don't like dark fics too much. I think the only dark fic I really read in Faecat's "Science and Fiction". I don't really read any other dark fics, because they get me all depressed. And no. I started TF: Prime… As funny as it sounds… I stopped watching because they had no lips. Logical, right? I couldn't stand looking at Optimus when he had no lips. ^^'' So I stopped watching. I may start it back up again, though…

**Annebellelennox:** Ooh! I love breakfast. I don't ever eat breakfast, but I love IHOP. :] It's yummy. I think finding anything new on anything you own is a boon. You know, it feels like a success of some sorts. :)

Yup. Rage is beginning to see the faults in his plans. Shame on him for thinking Shockwave could successfully fight against the Wreckers. And, eh heh, I have trouble feeling bad for Deathfire. He's too much of a creeper…

**Starscream's Prime:** :) Good, cuz you'll be called them often in review replies. It's easier just to type what I think, rather than having to filter my thoughts before typing them.

**Random Reader:** XD The mental picture! "H—" Optimus began. Suddenly, a little fleshy jumped from the rafters and attached herself to his faceplates, screaming, "I love you, Optimus!" as she did. XD

Teehee. I haven't decided who's gonna kill who. Except for Rip-Rage. I have his whole future planned out. So will he die? Will he return to the good side? Hmmm. So Optimus just might kill Deathfire.

*Gasp* You have to go see it! It's fraggin amazing! And don't stress it. Dylan isn't as much of a Transfan as I am. My little sister is a big transfan, though. Well, then again, she's into anything I'm into. It took me a while to explain why she couldn't watch Black Butler with me -_-

**Transformers girl 1234:** Avengers was amazing. I liked this guy for the Hulk, too. I've been in love with Mark Ruffalo since _Just Like Heaven._ He was good as the Hulk. :D As for Battleship… Don't keep your hopes too high. The action was amazing, but I didn't really like the script. -_- Still worth seeing, though. I just hate Rihanna. She shouldn't have been in it. Period. Now, I'm gonna stop my rant before I give out spoilers. ;) Go see it, and we'll chat about it.

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Yep. Very nice, indeed.

**Kellie Witwicky:** Lol. Yup, I've been planning that scene since I wrote about her reading that datapad. Quite a time to plan, right? XD And Sideways was never a Wrecker. :) And I'm writing them as three different femmes. I didn't want to deal with them being one femme. Too much effort. ;D

**:** Teehee. Did you like the fluffiness as the end of this chapter? *Mischievous eyes* And we'll see what happens. Dunno who's gonna die. I'm fairly certain most of my OCs are safe, so…we'll see. Sadly, I don't have time to write out the femme story. I can give you the abridged version, though. Chromia, Flare-up, and Arcee had different aspirations in life. Chromia joined the Defense Force as soon as she was old enough, and that Defense Force was commanded by Megatron (check out my fic _Sweet, Little, Beautiful_ to understand that more). Flare-up stayed behind to take care of Arcee, who was still a youngling, and attend the Academy. At the start of the war, Arcee and Flare-up were separated during an attack on Iacon. Flare-up was found by the Autobots. Arcee, who was in her pre-adult youngling frame (she's about fifteen), was found by Springer and Kup. Afterwards, Chromia and Flare-up met up and… crap… Now I wanna write a short fic on it. -_- Dang it. Nevermind. You will see a short fic about it.

And don't you point a plasma cannon at me. I will throw the Wrench of _DOOM_ at you. Don't make me come over there, young one! *Insert angry mother face* ;D

**Supergirlprime:** … Because. They just are…

**Flamingfoxviper:** Lol. Yep! Love the Arcee sisters. :) And Moon is gonna grow to hate her disability. A lot.

**CatGirlFireflare:** :D Glad you like the fic! Rage is definitely seeing the bad side of his decision. Maybe he _can_ make it up. We shall see. :)

**Chippr:** Lol. Well, he had to make sure he didn't hurt her. Could you imagine him having to explain that Moonstrike's new joint was stripped because they were bonding without clearance? XD Oh, the mental picture. Ha!

**Diamond White:** Ha! I have so many different views on the dream scene. I did that so that my Jazz/Moon shippers could drool a bit ;)

**Lola Prime:** The last part of this chapter is as explicit as the smut will get. :) Prime won't hold back on the PDA anymore, though.

**Fanmanbookman:** Aw! I'd never torture my readers! Y'all are too dear to me. :)

**Nikky:** Thanks for the feedback. :D Glad you like it, and I hope you keep enjoying it. :)

**Linariel:** I love adding in twists. No, Shockwave doesn't know about Megatron. Rip-Rage is still holding back information. It's kind of a slow fade for him.

I love writing in sweet fluff. Somehow, waking up in Prime's arms seemed like the sweetest thing. I'm trying so hard to keep him from becoming Edward Cullen. Edward was annoyingly perfect, and I don't want my Optimus to be like that. And I love Sunny and Sides. My next fic will focus in on Sunstreaker, so… it'll be fun.

She's taking it fine right now, but next chapter, you'll see her hate for it.

Read the one-shots first. *nod nod* They're cuter. Read the one-shots, then Read _Sparkling-sitting_. Then read _Three's a Crowd. _Then you can read everything else. Mind you, Soundwave's personality is kinda… yeah in _A Little Burst of Sunlight_, but it was my first semi-successful Transformers fic, so… Yeah.

I'm not completely ready for college yet, but I'm getting there. :) I definitely think I'll like it over high school, especially because of how small our high school is. We only had 28 in our graduating class…

**A Wiccan:** XD I love how it blanked out "slag" in the email. Fanfiction recognizes "slag" as a cuss word! XD

**Honest Opinion:** I spent all night trying to figure out how Moonstrike was a Mary-sue in the first chapter. XD I'm sitting here, thinking, 'She gets attacked by cons… Of course the attention is centered on her!' Then I woke up this morning and understood. :) Funny how my brain works better at eleven a.m., rather than two a.m. :) I understand where you're coming from, and you have your right to your opinion. You see, the main reason I am on fanfiction . net is actually to teach myself writing techniques, and since this story is first person (Something I'm practicing at the moment) if I'm wanting to do a character study on somebot, I have to somehow tie them to my main character.

Chem: I'm practicing with a layered character that hides emotions.

Optimus: A noble leader type with flaws

Soundwave: I failed. No sugar-coating it. This slagger is so… difficult to write. DX

Shockwave: a bad guy that is not insane, but is not after sex (since most bad guys appear to be so nowadays in fics)

Rip-Rage: a tastefully written traitor

Jazz: the romantic-interest-turned-best-friend

Deathfire: Well, she kinda scarred his face, and as a Decepticon, he would go for revenge.

So, yeah, the fic does center around my OC, but that's because she _is_ the main character, and a story centers around the main character. I'm seriously trying my hardest not to make her a Mary-sue, but honestly, everyone's definition of a Mary-sue is different. I hope the fic isn't too… well, mary-sueish for you, but if it is, then I am sorry to have lost a reader. I hope you can find a fic that you do like. I know there are a lot on my favorites that are really good. :D

I don't take it as a flame, either. A flame is "Your story sucks. This is why it sucks, and you should just go die in a hole." I've gotten a review similar to that, so, believe me, I take no offense to yours. After all, I use fanfic as a learning sight, so honest opinions like yours are welcome. :) Hope I didn't run you off. ;)

* * *

><p>Goodie! They're now bonded! Now, i have a few things to explain real fast, so <strong>Please read this!<strong>

*Hot Rod doesn't mean Ms. Strike. He means that she constantly misses what she tries to strike. So Miss-Strike.

1) Okay. First off, yes, Moon and Prime are now bonded. It has happened. It is official. So all that Prime/ Moonstrike fluff? it's about to become more common, and I wplan on adding a bit of angst and conflict, being the evil writer I am.

2) Secondly... this changes a lot of things... Since she has mated with Optimus (Alpha of the Autobots), Soundwave is no longer her pack master, and she now moves up in ranks, as she is the mate of a pack-master (or alpha). Because of this, her relationship with Soundwave and Ravage is about to change astronomically. Next chapter will be very interesting for those of you who are fascinated by Moonstrike's cycbercat side, because she's going to be moving into a new pack and making a small pack of her own to satiate her alpha tendencies. It shall be interesting. To write at least.

Now, everyone review. :)


	40. The Rec Room and Daddy Prime

1) So...uhm... yeah... sorry that I haven't updated... I have reasons. Week before last, I had SAT in the morning, and I job hunted all day. Sunday, I dropped into a bad case of writer's block. On top of that, I became rather depressed. Luckily, if there's one thing that can be said about me, it's that I bounce back easily. Then I started watching TF: Prime, and I am addicted (even though their lack of lips bugs the slag outta me)

However... me and Sarah... we're kinda grounded, which really isn't as bad as it seems, but my mother was very... specific... at saying that I was grounded from fanfiction . net... So... I bargained with her and my father to allow me to update today... So, um... Lunar Mist is on a month-long haitus, and I won't be returning until the fourth of July... Sorry.

2) On the bright side, my problems are starting to collapse! I drove! I fraggin' _drove_! And I didn't hit anything! I was perfectly in control! In addition to that, I have a job offer. It's from Walmart, but it's money, and I need $300 in two months in order to afford college. Speaking of which, everything's totally settled. I have to go to orientation, but I have everything set up! Win!

3) Sarah and I, as you can guess, have been rather bored, and we have come up with many plot bunnies, so come July 4, I'm gonna be putting up a slag-load of one-shots. =D

4) If you were reading _A Rough Road to Recovery,_ it is officially DISCONTINUED. Sorry.

**5**) The winner of my 1000th review contest was ! I cannot communicate with you right now, but if you wanna go ahead and send me a PM picking out your mech, I can go ahead and start writing it. :) I just can't reply or send PMs. :(

6) Sorry it's so long, but I have five weeks of slag to inform y'all of. No review replies because I can update, then I have to log off. This chapter was kinda forced, but it's 7,000 words long, so... at least it's long... maybe?

7) Dunno about all you fellow TF: Prime-ers, but Knockout is sexy, charming, and funny. I would totally change over to the cons to marry him. *swoon*

8) This is my current priority list, because I've had a lot of people asking about my other stories, so here's where I'm at (and it gives y'all a small sneak peak):

-Through a Cybercat's optics (Prime/OC)

-Sisterhood (Arcee, Flareup, and Chromia sister-fic)

-(Soundwave/OC one-shot. Maybe onesided, maybe not)

-(Plot bunny inadvertantly gave me via her review. Dunno if you meant to do that, BTW, but I can't resist. X) )

-(Crossover of Little Burst of Sunlight and Cairistona's "_You have Found a Home"_)

-(Mirage/OC oneshot. Unplanned.)

When and I start collaborating, her gift-fic will become first priority.

**9) Lastly, because I've suddenly had an influx of these requests, so I suppose I should just go ahead and address this issue. Ever since cowriting "Meeting Cierra" with Leonixon, people seem to think that I cowrite with everyone. I'm sorry, my friends, but that's not quite how it works. In my fanfiction career, I have co-authored two fics (I'm about to start the second one). These fics were coauthored with writers I have grown to think of as close friends. They were the first two people to PM me on fanfic, and they gave me someone to talk to during a time that I had no real friends. They took time to PM me and uphold conversations, and after reading their fics, I thought,_ 'Hey, I could write a crossover with mine!'_ However, cowriting with someone is extremely difficult and time-consuming. It took me well over four months to co-write a single oneshot with Leonixon, and I simply don't have that much time anymore. If I ask you to cowrite something with me, it's because I already have the beginnings of a plot in mind. So I kindly request that you stop asking.. It's nothing personal. It's just too time-consuming to have to go back and forth asking, "What would your character do if...?" or "What would your character say if...?". It's exhausting for both sides, ya know? It's not because I don't consider you friends or anything, it's just that I no longer have the time. Sorry. :( Lastly, I will not offer plot ideas. Fanfic is a learning site where you publish your _own_ ideas, not someone else's. As much as I'd like to help you, it doesn't improve your writing at all for someone else to be completely feeding you your plot. No offense, but I had to learn that the hard way when I was learning how to write plots. I'm sorry if I offended anyone with this, but I figure it's the only way to correct the problems and miconceptions. :( I hope my mini-rant... well, Ratchet-rant hasn't run anybot away. It's just... I hate having to say 'no' to people, so I think this is the easiest solution. My apologies for posting this on one of my chapters. I had hoped I wouldn't ever have to. :( I hope y'all can forgive me and accept this. :)**

Okay. With all that said... enjoy the chapter!

* * *

><p>Chapter 40<p>

The Rec Room and Daddy Prime

7,326 words

* * *

><p>I hummed lightly as my systems slowly onlined. Primus, I felt amazing. It was like I was surrounded by warmth, and my spark seemed lighter. I really didn't want to online, yet, but I knew I had to. Logically, I knew I had to do stuff during this cycle. So I onlined my optics and shuttered them in shock. I was currently cuddled up to <em>Optimus Prime<em>, lying on my side, facing him. Once again, his right arm pillowed my helm, and his left arm was wrapped around my waist, snuggling me into his chest, not that I was complaining. I could hear his spark, and I could tell that it was thrumming in perfect harmony with my own. My tail, which was currently hanging off the side of the berth, flicked in a response to my elation. I purred as I nuzzled my helm into his chassis, completely content on going back offline for a few more kliks.

A brief sense of confusion flitted through my spark, and I realized that it wasn't my confusion I was feeling. I grinned as I felt my mate's budding comprehension through the bond before it was flooded by love and happiness. I couldn't hold back the elated giggle the positive feelings elicited. I felt the mech beside me cuddle me closer, engine rumbling.

"Good cycle, my love," Optimus murmured as he granted me a greeting kiss. I gently kissed him back before cuddling close.

"Good cycle," I replied gently. Optimus moved his left arm from my waist to my helm. I didn't resist as he pulled me into another kiss. "Mm… I could get used to onlining to this," I hummed when he pulled back. Optimus chuckled, and his amusement flowed across the new bond.

"I enjoy feeling your happiness," Optimus informed me.

"Likewise, my mate," I purred. The hand on my helm moved to my audio amplifiers, and I felt Optimus's curiosity through the bond. I received a sense of "I wonder if she can feel this" through the bond before he gently rubbed one of the amplifiers. A low purr filled the room as I went limp in his grasp, optics dimming in pleasure at the touch. I fraggin loved getting my amplifiers massaged. I felt Optimus's surprise and humor at this.

"So you can feel this?" Optimus questioned with a smile. I nodded lethargically.

"Feels good," I murmured. I felt a sense of mischievousness through the bond, and I gave a low whine when Optimus abruptly stop rubbing my amplifier. "Prime," I whined as I nudged his hand with my helm. Optimus's vast amusement flowed through the bond along with a sense of "Primus, she's so cute." I growled playfully at him.

"I'm not cute," I growled lightly. "I'm a mech-wrecker."

"Oh, most definitely, my femme. I would never disagree with that," Optimus replied in a teasing voice. I snorted at this before letting out a loud groan when Optimus rose from the berth, completely taking away the heat and comfort.

"Optimus!" I whined as he walked around the top of the berth. Optimus chuckled as he stopped by my side of the berth, and I released a yelp when he abruptly lifted me into his arms.

"I believe it is time to greet our fellow bots," Optimus claimed as he walked out of the berthroom.

"But… wouldn't you rather cuddle?" I asked, dismayed at how little time we had spent alone this cycle. Optimus gave an actual laugh this time, and I shivered as the deep laughter flowed through the bond, as well. It was an amazing sound, loud and velvety. I giggled in reply, unable to control both my emotion _and_ his. I fought back a grimace at that. It would take time getting used to the bond, but I knew it was worth. Prime's amusement faded to affection as he, no doubt, read my emotions.

The halls were rather busy, and I knew that we had exited our quarters during a shift change. There was not a single bot that passed us that didn't give me and Prime a look of some sort. Some gave us suspicious glances, while some looked approving. Some only glanced, while others stared outright as they crossed past us. I scowled at the attention, knowing Prime was choosing this over spending time together in our room. Optimus snorted quietly.

**::I was under the impression you needed energon:: -Optimus Prime**

**::We couldn't refuel in your quarters?:: -Moonstrike**

**::I no longer keep energon in my quarters. It is far better to go to the rec room for fuel, where I can interact with my soldiers:: -Optimus Prime**

I didn't have a reply to that. Honestly, I was still annoyed. When two Wreckers bonded, they were not seen or heard from for at least an orn because they are too busy strengthening their bond… and doing other stuff… I vented heavily as we moved into the rec room, taking in how crowded it was. Chatter and laughter filled the room, mechs and femmes getting to know their new comrades. However, all that changed the second Prime stepped into the room. Everybot went silent and turned to face us, staring awkwardly as Prime glanced around the room for a specific bot.

"Yo! Boss bot! Bring 'er ovuh here!" a familiar voice called. Prime nodded, keeping his emotions in check as he moved to the saboteur's table. Jazz was seated in one of the four seats, and Bluestreak was seated across from him. "Set 'er down right 'ere," Jazz ordered with a grin as he patted the seat beside him. Prime gently placed me in the seat and ran his hand affectionately down my helm, briefly cupping my cheek before turned away and moving toward the energon dispenser. The second Prime turned away, conversations resumed, making me blush at the knowledge that every mech and femme must've seen something that they had been waiting for.

"Sooo… You and Prime," Jazz started, a grin set on his face. I knew that my cheek plating was likely a bright shade of blue now, so I simply nodded. Jazz chuckled. "Well, it's 'bout time!"

"Jazz!" I chided. "Quieter! We don't want this all over base, yet!"

"You mean, you don' wan' the Hatchet ta know you two was gettin' it on while yo're still injuh'd," Jazz clarified with a smirk.

"_Jazz!"_ I hissed, looking around to make sure nobot was listening in.

"You mean, you and Prime are bonded?" Bluestreak asked, his blue optics filled with excitement. "That's amazing! Congratulations! Prime needed a femme around. He's been so sulky since Elita offlined, and I think you'll make a perfect mate for him! Then, you two will have sparklings, and I know Prime always wanted sparklings. I mean, who doesn't. Though, I suppose there are a lot of mechs and femmes that don't want sparklings, though I never really understood their reasoning, and-"

"Blue, you're gonna make 'er glitch," Jazz interrupted in a deadpan voice. I couldn't deny that I likely looked like I was about to glitch. My optics were wide with horror, and my mouth wide open. But I wasn't staring at Bluestreak. No, I was staring at the femme that had entered the room when Bluestreak had started talking and had immediately zeroed in on us and the conversation taking place. The femme in question had immediately adopted an expression similar to that of a youngling that just discovered a lost cybercat and just _knew_ her creators would let her keep it. Automatically, I knew she had just jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I knew I was about to pay the price. Oh, Primus…

"Moonstrike!" Streamshot squealed as she dashed to our table, sliding into the seat next to Bluestreak and across from me. Her hands grasped mine over the table, and she squealed in an equally loud voice, "You and Prime are having a sparkling!"

Silence. And I don't mean just form our table. Every bot went silent as attention was riveted, once again, to me. I felt horror flow through the bond, along with a twist of longing. So Prime _did_ want sparklings… I looked over at said Prime to see that he was frozen in place, two cubes in hand, and his optics were focused on me. I felt a nudge through the bond asking if it was true.

"No, Streamshot. I'm not sparked," I snapped. "Did I not lecture you on entering conversations that are not your own? Something about _jumping to conclusions?_"

"Probably… but you and Prime _are_ bonded, right?" she prodded. I scowled at her.

"I don't believe that's your business," I replied with a growl, my tail flicking irritably. Streamshot groaned irritably.

"Moon, ya gotta give me something here! I have to live vicariously through you right now!"

"Oh, so when you finally catch your mech, you'll stop asking me about my personal life?" I asked in a deadpan voice.

"Maybe. Depends on who the mech is." I turned to Jazz.

"You see what I have to deal with?"

"Yup. Seems frustrat'n."

"Yeah, yet you still act so cruel to me."

"Babe, I'm nevuh cruel, 'specially to a femme I love so much."

"Uh-huh. Right."

"I'm tellin' the truth 'ere! I truly wish there could'a been s'methin' more b'tween us," Jazz said in an overdramatic voice.

"Me, too, Jazz," I replied flatly.

"Really?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah. A wall." There were snickers around the room, and I grimaced when I realized that attention was focused on us. "As you were!" I snapped. Optics widened before everybot returned to their conversations, though I was fairly certain all those conversations were about me and Prime. I ignored them, not seeing a reason to worry about their thoughts. I was their alpha femme now, whether they liked it or not. Two cubes of energon were set down on the table before me, and I looked up to see Prime standing beside me. Streamshot looked up at the Prime and prepared to rise to offer him her seat.

"That is unnecessary, fair one," Optimus said gently as he lifted me from my seat. He sat in the seat and situated me in his lap. I gave him a flat look.

"You understand that once I am repaired completely, this is gonna stop, right?" I informed him. Optimus chuckled, and I felt his amusement through the bond, along with a "challenge accepted" feel. Streamshot gave an exaggerated cough, and I grimaced as I looked over at her. I knew every mech around us was confused as they watched us have a complete conversation with our faces.

I scowled and glared at my friend. _What do you want?_

Streamshot widened her optics meaningfully. _Aren't you gonna introduce us?_

I glanced up at Prime, then back at her, rolling my optics. _You met him in the Wrecker Housing Community._

Streamshot glared, flicking her helm once at the Prime._ Introduce us formally, you nitwit!_

I sighed dramatically. _For the love of Primus, fine!_

"Optimus, this is Streamshot, my best friend. Streamshot, this is my sparkmate, Optimus Prime," I introduced flatly. Optimus smiled, amusement floating through the bond.

"A pleasure to meet you," he greeted.

"You, as well. Make Moon cry, and I'll have every Wrecker on you before you can even vent," Streamshot replied in a chipper voice. I groaned heavily, even though Prime seemed even more amused by my friend's statement.

"Hey, Moon?" I looked across at Streamshot as she looked at me, a frown on her face. "If you and Prime are recently bonded, why aren't you in your quarters?" I sent Prime a glare.

"He wanted to mingle," I stated. Streamshot's frown deepened as she looked at Prime, who was now sipping at his energon cube.

"Optimus, perhaps it is different in your culture, but in a Wrecker's culture, a mech keeps his newly bonded hidden away for a while after they bond. You see, the bond is still weak at first, and it would be easy for another mech to overtake the current bond, so to ensure that the femme will remain his, a Wrecker mech will keep his new mate in their quarters, baring entrance to anybot that doesn't already hold a bond of some sort with his femme. This is also when a mech proves he can care for his femme, and he brings her energon and different types of fineries to prove that she didn't make a bad choice by bonding with him." Streamshot hummed dreamily. "My opiluk got my danni a dagger set made of cybertonium."

"My opi got my danni expensive polish and an acid pellet gun," I added thoughtfully.

"Really? I never knew she had one of those," Streamshot stated.

"She never uses it. It remains in her weapons subspace as a reminder of her mates undying love," I said in a sarcastic voice.

"Why would you keep an acid pellet gun in your subspace if you were never gonna use it?" Streamshot asked in a confused voice.

"Who even knows?" I replied in exasperation. I lifted my energon cube up and took a sip, gently prodding at the bond in an attempt to discover why my mate was being so silent. Bluestreak had just left for his first shift, and Jazz had apparently joined our conversation, but Prime was silent, almost contemplative as he sipped his energon.

**::Prime?:: -Moonstrike**

**::All is well, my love. I am only thinking on what your friend has told me:: -Optimus Prime**

**::That's what worries me. You haven't done anything wrong. You are not a Wrecker mech, and I do not expect you to act like one:: -Moonstrike**

**::But this is what you were raised to expect, and it is unfair for this bonding to not reach your expectations simply because I am not a Wrecker:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Optimus, my love, if I wanted a Wrecker bonding, I would have said so. Stop worrying about something so small:: -Moonstrike**

I received no reply, simply a thoughtful and troubled feeling through our bond. I sighed, knowing it would take a lot to pull him from his brooding. I sighed as I prepared to continue our conversation, but before I could, the rec room door hissed open, and Sunstreaker and Sideswipe rushed inside. They glanced around the room before Sideswipe laid optics on our table. Deciding that it would be safest hiding behind two ranking officers and two Wrecker femmes, one of which was injured, Sideswipe pulled Sunstreaker to our table, where they crouched down to hide while striking up a conversation.

"Good joor, my fine femmes. How are _you_ this joor?" Sideswipe asked with a suave grin. Streamshot all but melted at that grin.

"Doin' good," she chirped back. I rolled my optics.

"Can't complain. And what brings you two here so quickly this early in the cycle?" I asked slyly. Sideswipe turned his grin on me.

"Ratchet had an incident this morning and saw fit to blame me. Sunstreaker, being my _only_ twin, decided that he would help save me from the coming wrath."

"Translation: he slagged off Ratchet, and I'm not letting Ratchet ruin my finish because Sideswipe got bored," Sunstreaker interjected tersely. Sideswipe shrugged with a shameless grin when I sent him a stern look.

"What can I say? I lighten up the days of everybot here," he claimed. "So tell me, femme, did you and Prime finally hook up?"

"Why you-"

"Where are they!" The room went silent for the third time that cycle as a very pink Ratchet stomped into the rec room, both hands armed with a wrench. "Give them up, and you will be spared!" Ratchet added darkly. "If any of you are hiding them, you will regret it."

"They're over here! Sunstreaker's innocent, though!" I called out.

"Hey!" Sideswipe yelled while Sunstreaker simply gave me a smirk. I wasn't sure what that smirk meant, but I ignored it, none the less, in favor of watching Ratchet stomp over to our table. "I'm the reason you two are bonded!" Sideswipe exclaimed in a betrayed voice. Ratchet froze in his tracks, then slowly turned to look at me and Prime.

"You didn't," he mumbled, his voice deathly quiet. I winced, and I could feel Prime's desire to do the same. I watched as Ratchet approached us, exchanging the wrench in his right hand for a scanner, and I grimaced as he ran a scan over my spark.

"Ow!" I yelped when he abruptly hit me with a wrench, but Ratchet ignored me as he smacked my mate with the wrench as well.

"What that slag were you thinking! She's fraggin injured! Slag, she crippled!"

"Hey!" I interjected defensively, but was ignored.

"Ratchet, I am more than capable of taking care of my mate-"

"Like slag! She's having major surgery in a joor, and now I have to worry about you slagging something up while you two-"

"Don't!" I snapped, cutting Ratchet off. "Continue that sentence, I will make your life miserable."

"Your threats don't scare me, youngling."

"Hey! I am in _no way_ a youngling! I have the bond to prove it," I snarled. Ratchet rolled his optics.

"An adult knows how to follow a medic's orders. You have a joor to get your blades reinstalled, then I want you in my medbay. Perceptor and Wheeljack are both here to assist," Ratchet informed me. He fixed Prime with a stern glare, but no words were spoken aloud. Ratchet gave a single nod of approval before turning on his foot and moving towards the door.

"Thank Primus," Sideswipe breathed as he rose to his feet. Ratchet suddenly turned and chunked his wrench in Sideswipe's direction. Sideswipe gave a yelp of pain as the wrench rebounded off his helm and landed on the table in front of me and Prime. I giggled a bit as I grabbed the wrench and put it in subspace.

"I'll return it later," I promised. Ratchet gave a single nod before leaving the rec room. I giggled a bit as I looked over at Sunstreaker. "Isn't that prank a bit overdone?" I asked. Sunstreaker shrugged.

"It was the first prank Sideswipe pulled at this base when we were first stationed here. I guess it was for old times' sake," Sunstreaker said. I grinned at that.

"Makes sense," I claimed. Sunstreaker rolled his optics as he glanced around the crowded rec room for a place to sit. His optics settled on the door as it opened again and narrowed when the two ex-Decepticon torture specialists walked in. Well, Soundwave walked in. Chemical seemed to be skipping. I watched in amusement as Chemical paused and looked around the rec room. His optics locked with mine, and he grinned as he trotted over to our table, Soundwave following at a more sedate pace with Ravage at his pedes and a large cyberhawk on his shoulder.

"I heard you were here and came to check up on you," Chemical announced.

"She's fine, 'Con," Sunstreaker snarled. I turned my gaze to the golden mech, growling lightly at the negative tone sent toward my pack-member.

"Watch your tone, mech," I snapped. Sunstreaker glared back at me.

"Why is the prime's mate defending a 'Con torturer?" he asked suspiciously. I felt a bit of my cybercat subroutes online when his tone was directed at me.

"You would do well to keep from insulting my pack," I hissed. Sunstreaker looked confused for a second, and I felt a jolt of worry from my bond.

"Moonstrike, I was not aware Chemical was a part of your pack," Optimus said conversationally. I shuttered my optics at the interruption and looked up at him to find that he was watching me rather closely.

"Of course he is," I replied, somehow shocked that Prime didn't know this. I frowned at my own thoughts. How would Optimus know who was in my pack? I blinked. How did _I_ know? Why did I think I had a pack? My tail flicked irritably as my processor worked to make sense of it.

"Theory: Moonstrike does not remember Freedom's thoughts and vise versa. Conclusion: Moonstrike does not remember or understand cybercat ideas and instincts," Soundwave interjection.

"Wait, so you mean Prime's femme doesn't remember attacking us in the medbay?" Sideswipe asked in confusion. My optics widened with horror.

"I attacked you in the medbay?" I demanded, horrified. I had attacked a fellow Autobot! I looked at Optimus with wide optics, begging him through the bond to say it wasn't true.

"It would appear Soundwave is correct in this," Optimus noted with a frown.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Streamshot interjected, holding up her hands and looking up at Soundwave with a frown. "Just what do these cybercat instincts include?" she asked slowly.

"She c'n _kick aft_," Jazz stated, putting appreciative pauses between the last two words.

"How do you know?" Streamshot asked with narrowed optics. Jazz grinned at her.

"When we went ta Protihex, we go' attacked by 'Cons on the way there. Freed'm took ovuh, sprinted ahead of us, an' beat the slag outta the 'Con tha' was waitin' for us. Then, when Shockwave sent 'is army t' Protihex t' attack, Streamshot wasn't aggressive 'til a bot attacked first."

"Freedom?" I asked, confused by the use of the designation given to me by Prime when I was still a cybercat. I was ignored, though, as Streamshot spoke over me.

"Wait. What do you mean by 'aggressive'? Like shooting aggressive or killing-without-mercy aggressive?" Streamshot questioned.

"Like tearin'-out-sparks-an'-crushin'-'em aggressive," Jazz returned. Streamshot's optics widened, and she turned her gaze to me. I blinked when I saw the fear and horror there.

"Moon, that's against the codes," she whispered in a worried voice. My own optics widened as I realized the implications of my inadvertent actions.

"But… but I don't remember any of it!" I claimed in a frenzied whisper, leaning over the table a bit to get closer to my friend, as if that would somehow convince her of my argument.

"Moon, I—it—we. _Ugh_!" she growled in frustration, letting her helm drop onto the table before lifting it up and fixing me with a stern, yet worried look. "Moonstrike, four bodies were found in the base rubble. Three of them had crushed sparks. You _know_ no Wrecker would do that… So that leaves Chem, Soundwave, Ratchet, and…" She trailed off, her optics growing fearful as the sentence hung in the air.

"…Me…" I said with muted horror. Optimus immediately came to the rescue, surging the bond with love, understanding, and comfort. I relaxed back into his hold as I soaked up his emotions, not really sure how to rise from the flow.

"Hold up a klik. Are we sayin' Moon has s'me sort a' multiple pers'nality probl'm?" Jazz interrupted. Chemical shook his helm.

"I'm not certain if that's what it is," he claimed with optics dimmed in thought.

"Explain," Soundwave ordered. I growled at him. How dare he order around one of my pack! I blinked in confusion when I processed that thought. I looked down at Ravage, who was watching me with interest.

"_I don't understand. I used to take orders from Soundwave without a problem. Why am I so made that he's talking to Chem?" _I asked him. Ravage purred as he stood on his hind legs, placing his front paws on the table to keep his balance.

"_You have mated to an alpha. As the alpha femme of your pack and the alpha of your own additional pack, you will no longer accept orders from your former pack leader,"_ Ravage explained. I frowned.

"_So when I bonded with Prime, I made him my master?" _I asked.

"_Not master. Equal."_

"_Ahh. I see. So then, who's in my pack?"_ I questioned. Ravage shrugged as he pushed away from the table and landed on all four paws.

"_That is for you to discover. It is obvious, though, that you have selected Chemical to be in your pack,"_ he replied easily.

"Umm… Moon, when did you learn cybercat talk?" Streamshot asked slowly. I looked over at her and almost laughed at her freaked out face.

"I have been able to communicate with Ravage since my time as a cybercat," I stated. Streamshot nodded slowly, as if she were having a hard time processing this new information.

"What did he say?" Sideswipe asked curiously.

"That Prime's pack is now mine, and my own pack is now Prime's."

"So does that mean you don't belong to Soundwave anymore?" Streamshot asked with a frown. I gasped at the sudden surge of anger and jealousy that rose over the bond.

"No," I choked out. "It's not meant that way," I told Prime. I looked up at him. "The cybercat programming required a pack-master, and Soundwave was that," I explained.

"Moonstrike: Soundwave's pet," Soundwave expounded.

"I wasn't a pet," I grumbled.

"Title aside, shouldn't we figure out how to get rid of the dual personalities?" Sunstreaker questioned.

"She will already have to answer for her crimes against the three mechs she murdered at the Wrecker Community," Streamshot added quietly. I felt worry and fear bead into my spark, and Prime sent a calming promise of security over the bond to squash the negative emotions.

"Wha' 'xactly is the reasonin' 'ere? I mean, you Wreckers aren't 'xactly merciful bots," Jazz stated bluntly.

"Yes, but we do not crush or remove sparks. We may be brutal, but we aren't Decepticons, and we do not kill like them," Streamshot said seriously.

"It is a very serious offense to destroy a mech or femme's spark, and it's just something you don't do. It is understood amongst all Wreckers, and just in case it wasn't, it is written in our Wrecker Code of Honor," I added grimly.

"Yeah, but Kup and Magnus will never find out if we don't say anything," Streamshot asserted. I frowned.

"If they find out we know," I murmured. Streamshot gave what I think she wanted to be a cocky grin, but it looked more nervous than anything.

"C'mon, Moon! Ultra Magnus is your grand-creator, and you're Kup's favorite," she claimed.

"They cannot interfere or show favoritism, and Kup loves anybot that will sit down and listen to him," I argued.

"Now is not the time, Moonstrike," Optimus interjected smoothly, frowning at my worry. I suddenly felt a new sense of contentment, and I grinned as I looked up at Soundwave.

"My sparkling wants to see me," I informed him as I sent my love back to Megatron, who was working at coming out of his recharge. Soundwave's chestplate opened, and I grinned as I watched him lifted a lethargic Megatron from his hold. The little sparkling hung limply from his scruff bar, not responding to the outside world as he looked at me listlessly through dim optics. "Hello, darling," I cooed as Soundwave placed the sparkling in my right hand. I nuzzled my faceplates against his, gaining a little giggle from my efforts. Megatron trilled quietly as he flopped down on my chest plate on his stomach. His helm snuggled into the warm metal, working to hear my spark.

"Love my danni," he squeaked.

"Aww!" Jazz, Sideswipe, and Streamshot all cooed. I grinned up at them before gently shaking my little mech with my left hand.

"No, sparklet. You must wake up, my spark. Don't you want to refuel?" I asked. Megatron gave a low buzz of annoyance, but that only made me laugh as I continued on my quest to awaken my little mech.

"Come on, young one. No more recharging," Optimus interjected. I watched in amusement as Megatron little helm popped up and craned around as far as it could. He still couldn't see his opiluk, so he rolled over onto his back. Excited red optics met with loving blue ones, and Megatron gave a loud squeal of delight.

"Opi!" he squealed happily, waving his hands at Optimus joyfully. "Love my opi!" he added with excitement.

"I love you, too, my mech. Are you ready to refuel?" Optimus asked gently.

"Fool! Fool! Wan' fool, Opi!" Megatron cheered. I gave Optimus a deadpan look.

"Well, I know who's the favorite," I stated with a small smirk. Optimus returned the smirk and sent amusement over the bond.

"Very much so. Now, I must make my rounds, and seeing as you have a surgery in a joor, I believe I will keep our son today," Optimus stated with a rakish smile. I narrowed my optics playfully.

"Not if I keep him hidden," I teased, hugging the little mech close. Megatron squealed and giggled as he cuddled close, not disagreeing with the proximity at all.

**::There's nowhere you can put him that I can't reach him:: -Optimus Prime**

I blushed bright blue at that comm. link, and I playfully slapped Prime's chest.

**::My, my, don't we have a dirty processor? I didn't mean it like that at all:: -Optimus Prime**

I giggled at the teasing tone of his comm. message.

**::I'm certain that is **_**exactly**_** how you meant it, my mech, and I'd suggest keeping **_**those**_** comments to yourself:: -Moonstrike**

**::Or what?:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Sparklings will become quite the reality:: -Moonstrike**

I sent him a good dose of my desire and grinned in success when Optimus's cooling fans discretely flicked on. He looked down at me with a smirk, but I didn't miss the desire, longing, and love he sent my way.

**::Femme, you test me. Quite the cruel thing to do:: -Optimus Prime**

**::It's a pity you have to work with your soldiers all cycle:: -Moonstrike**

**::We still have a joor until we have to meet Ratchet, my femme:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Ah, but I have things to do. I have to talk to Chemical about my blades, I have to visit Kup, and I still have surgery. And you have to visit your troops. So sad, my mech:: -Moonstrike**

**::So sad, indeed. We still have the lunar cycles:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I dunno, Prime. I don't wanna interrupt your work:: -Moonstrike**

Megatron, who had been content with gnawing on the armor plating of my left forearm, decided at this moment that he was very bored. He let out a loud whistle to gain our attention, and I immediately responded, nuzzling my nose against his.

"What do you need, my mech?" I purred. Megatron giggled, happy for the attention. "Chem, I need my blades reattached soon. Ratchet wants them reinstalled before my surgery," I informed the red and orange mech, who was watching me and Megatron very closely with an endearing smile on his face.

"Of course! Actually, if you hand Megatron over to Optimus, we can take you to my new lab right now," Chemical chirped. I smiled at him.

"You got a lab?" I asked, happy for the science mech. Chem nodded.

"Yes. I believe it was Wheeljack's old laboratory. Perceptor plans to assist me in studying your slavery data while he's here," Chemical informed me. I nodded in understanding.

"That's good. It'll be nice to know where everything's headed. Well, my love, I must leave. If you'd take care of my sparkling, I'd be _very obliged_," I purred the last two words, hoping to get a response. I was a bit worried by his possessive smirk, and I was shocked when he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I grinned a bit when I heard three separate engines stutter, while Streamshot's revved in friendly jealously, and I giggled a bit when Jazz revved his playfully

"I'll expect you to pay up next cycle," Prime rumbled in my audio amplifier. He straightened in his seat, gently taking Megatron into his hands. Megatron squealed happily and began babbling to his opiluk, explaining something in vast detail. Optimus smiled down at the mech as he gave him the attention he craved. I was lifted into Soundwave's arms, and I watched as Optimus pulled out a bottle from subspace and maneuvered Megatron around in his grasp before allowing the mechling the latch on to the rubber tubing. Megatron clicked cheerfully as he started refueling. Little digits wrapped around Optimus's fingers as Megatron stared into Prime's optics.

"C'mon, Soundwave. Let's get this done," Chemical commented. Soundwave nodded as he turned.

**::I'll see you at the end of the cycle:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Likewise. Love you:: -Moonstrike**

**::I love you, as well:: -Optimus Prime**

I smiled as I was carried away, and the last thing I heard from the table was Sideswipe saying, "Okay, I _gotta_ know what you two were talking about earlier!"

* * *

><p>Optimus was careful to keep a blank face as he stood before the screen. Around him, Mirage and Prowl were holding identical expressions of mild irritation and business-like interest. On the screen before him, Helix, the political delegate from Nova Cronum, was ranting rather creatively about the most recent attack there. It was a well-known fact that Nova Cronum was a city filled with the most philosophical thinkers of their time, and it was equally well-known that it had the tendency to be… well, blown up. Not that it was a specific target. The city-state just always seemed to be in the wrong place when the 'Cons launched an attack.<p>

"You Autobots were always preaching about protecting the weak, yet we were attacked, and nobot came to our defense! I didn't see any armies coming to defend us! Honestly, Prime, how do you expect us to defend ourselves? And another thing! When did the Decepticons reform, and just when were you planning on informing us that our war was resuming?"

"We did not want to cause any undue worry. We have the situation under control," Optimus said evenly. Helix growled impressively.

"My city is in tatters! If this is what it's like when the situation's under control, Primus help us when you _lose_ control!"

"That is quite enough!" Optimus snapped, feeling his left optic twitch. Sentinel had engrained his teachings in rather well, and hearing a politician use contractions always irritated him. After all, he got smacked when he used contractions*! "I will see to it that repairs are made, but for now, I am afraid that there is nothing more I can do for you. Good joor." And with that said, Optimus leaned over the console and hit the disconnect button. There was silence for a few kliks before Mirage finally spoke.

"Well, it could've gone a lot worse," he said optimistically. Prowl and Optimus sent him identical gazes of irritation.

"Regardless of how it _could_ have gone, I know from experience that Helix will be rather… miffed when he finds that he is unable to reestablish the connection. Prowl, you said that Blaster would be arriving soon?" Optimus asked. Prowl gave a curt nod.

"Affirmative. I informed him that we had a communications expert here, but he disregarded it," Prowl reported. Optimus sighed, looking away. He _really_ didn't feel like dealing with this.

"Very well," he replied evenly. "I will be in my office if I am needed."

"Yes, sir!" Prowl and Mirage replied, snapping up identical salutes. Optimus nodded to both before turning and exiting the room. As he moved through the hall, he wondered idly how long it would take for Blaster to learn of Soundwave's presence in the base and start something. There was no mistaking the rivalry and tension between the two, but nobot knew what caused it. Optimus was certain there was some sort of background, that Soundwave had done something that torqued Blaster off, or vise versa. Optimus frowned at that thought, imagining a furious Soundwave. Somehow, the picture just didn't compute. He gave a single sigh as he pushed the thoughts to the back of his processor, because if the fuzzy feelings sifting through his spark were anything to judge by, Megatron was beginning to wake up from his early solar cycle nap.

**/Hello, my mech/** Prime greeted through the bond. Megatron squealed happily, though no other bot could hear him, thanks to the sound-proof walls of his sparkling hold. Optimus smiled as he stopped in the nearly empty hall and allowed his chest plates to open. Megatron gave a delighted trill as Optimus reached into his carrying hold and snagged the mechling by his scruff bar. Megatron curled up limply as Optimus allowed his chest plates to close before settlling the mechling over his spark. Megatron giggled cheerfully as he tapped on the window glass on Prime's chest. Love, contentment, and a fair dose of curiosity filtered through the bond as Megatron studied his reflection in the window.

"Opi!" he called, pointing at the reflection. Optimus chuckled at the sparkling, gaining smiles and smirks from the mechs and femmes he passed in the hallways.

"No, my mechlet. That is you," Optimus stated. Megatron frowned at he looked at his mech creator, not really understanding what he was getting at. He turned his attention back to the reflection, then back up at Optimus's optics.

"Meg?" he asked, still pointing at his reflection. Optimus chuckled again.

"Yes. That's you," he confirmed. Megatron looked at his reflection, cocking his head, and he squeaked in confusion when the reflection followed the motion. He moved again and twittered curiously when the reflection did as well. He clicked quietly as he leaned forward, optics crossing comically as he worked on keeping the reflection in his sights. He squealed when his helm hit the window.

"Meg!" he exclaimed, pointing at the reflection as he glared at the reflection suspiciously. "No Meg!" he squeaked irately. He looked up at Prime and pointed at himself. "Meg!" he proclaimed, then he pointed at the reflection and added, "No Meg!"

"That is right. Only you can be you," Optimus rumbled in agreement. Megatron chirped at the sound of his opiluk's comforting voice and twittered as he looked around at his surroundings. Now that he was paying attention, Megatron could see that all of the passing femmes and mechs would stare at him as they passed. Megatron didn't quite know what this meant, so he brushed it off, smiling cutely at the passing bots. "My, my, you are quite the attention lover, aren't you?" Optimus asked in a gentle voice when he saw Megatron smile at a passing femme, who all but melted at the sight of the tall, handsome, and desirable Optimus Prime cuddling a bubbly sparkling close. Megatron only chirped in response to hearing his voice.

Optimus typed in a passcode into the keypad by his door, and he grinned when Megatron jolted at the hissing noise the door made as it slid open. The little black mech looked around curiously, attempting to find out what made that strange noise, as his opiluk moved into the large office. It was an easy lay-out, and to that cycle, Prime would still claim that he didn't need all the space. The entryway was completely empty, and Optimus had to take about seventeen large strides to reach the front of his desk. There were two chairs situated in front of his desk, and his own chair sat behind it. Cheap paintings were hung sporadically on the walls, and two cheap metal sculptures stood by the door. Two shelves stood against the left wall, both parallel with Prime's desk for easy access. These shelves held datapads on past battles and casualties, as well as a few empty holocubes. Optimus smiled as he settled himself back down into his chair, feeling an odd sense of déjà vu. Of course, Megatron being there helped fight off that feeling. Optimus gently settled the mechling down on his stomach on the desk and grinned when Megatron immediately rolled himself over and sat himself up.

"You are learning rather quickly, my spark," Optimus informed him. Megatron twisted around to looked at his opiluk and gave an open-mouthed smile.

"Meg!" he chirped. Optimus smiled at his sparkling. "Meg love my opi!"

"I love you, too," Optimus cooed as he rubbed his nose plates against Megatron's, sending the sparkling into a small giggle fit.

**::Jazz t' Optimus:: -Jazz**

Optimus sighed. Of course this moment was too good to last.

**::Prime here:: -Optimus Prime**

**::I got a new r'cruit, an' I don' know if it's a good idea ta keep 'im. We're outside yo'r office now:: -Jazz**

Optimus groaned as he lifted Megatron up from the desk, opening his chest plates as he did. His duty as prime always seemed to get in the way. If it wasn't for some stupid meeting with some moronic delegate, then it was dealing with a new recruit that had an attitude problem. Optimus sighed again as he placed Megatron in his hold and closed it off. He shut his chest plates and beckoned Jazz and the recruit in.

"Thanks, Prime," Jazz stated, as he led the new recruit in. Optimus fought back a grimace at the mech's appearance. The edges of his armor were set in spiked ends, much like Megatron's once was, and it was obvious that the mech was built for speed and for espionage, if the pitch black armor was anything to go by. A visor covered his optics, but by the visor's red tint, Optimus knew the mech had the optics of a military mech, or in current times, a Decepticon. His digits tapered off to sharp claws, and two horns rose from his helm. A scowl was placed firmly on his faceplates, and he didn't give the prime any show of respect as he stopped before his desk.

"Greetings," Optimus started. The mech interrupted, though.

"Yeah, I know. Welcome to the 'bots, we'll all be happy and kill the bad guys, don't lie, don't cheat, don't steal, and don't even act like a 'Con would. Now where's my quarters?" the mech snapped. Prime shuttered his optics with a frown and glanced over at Jazz, who looked like he would be _very willing_ to put a dagger through the mech's spark.

"No. Until you can speak to the mech you plan on serving under with respect, you may recharge outside. Dismissed," Optimus replied, feeling like he had just finished speaking with Sunstreaker's Decepticon counter-part.

"Hey! Just a klik, now!" the mech protested, yanking his arm away from Jazz, who kept reaching for it, not wanting to attack the mech to get him out of the prime's office.

"Yes?' Optimus prompted in a calm voice. The mech scowled.

"I would like to receive my quarters, if they are ready," the mech's scowl deepened, as if he was about to perform the worst task imaginable, "sir?" he finished.

"Tha' wasn't too hard, now, was it?" Jazz taunted irritably.

"Jazz," Prime said in a warning tone. He then turned his attention back to this new mech. "You will be given a datapad of our rules and regulations. Your room number is 132A on the second level."

"Thanks," the mech mumbled as he turned to leave.

"I did not dismiss you," Optimus snapped, causing the mech to pause. "What is your designation?"

"… Flamefall," the mech replied after a pause, though his voice was filled with ire.

"Very well. Flamefall, you are dismissed."

The black mech nodded curtly and left the room. Jazz gave Prime a worried look.

"You don' think 'ccepting mechs fr'm the 'Cons was a bad idea, do ya?" Jazz pondered. Prime sighed yet again.

"At this point, Jazz, I don't know. All we can do is hope that they are honorable and honest."

"Yeah. We'll see 'ow tha' works." Jazz gave his prime a single nod before exiting the room and leaving the prime to his thoughts.

'_I hope it's not bad, Jazz, because I fear to think of what Shockwave has planned for the future if he succeeds,'_ Prime thought anxiously. He shook his helm as he retrieved his sparkling from his hold and returned to his earlier activities of watching his creation amuse himself and showering the mechling with love. He would protect them. He wouldn't let another one of his family die.

* * *

><p>So we meet our newest recruit. Quite the rude slagger, ain't 'e? And I threw in a bit of OptimusSparkling!Megatron fluff. :3 Shockwave is becoming more public with his attacks. Wonder what will happen! Guess all y'all will find out in three weeks. :)

Everybody go to my profile and find out what your birthday means! This was the product of my sister's boredom, as well as my own. Scrolled down to the bottom of the profile just above my stories. Impossible to miss. I'll give you a hint as to what it is. I'm handcuffed to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker (which would probably suck -_-) Sarah's is the pet of Soundwave. XD So everybody check it out then post what you are in your review. :) I'm curious, as is Sarah. ;)

See ya on the fourth!


	41. Past The Point of No Return

1) I'm freeeee! Fraggin' finally! You know, as painful as it was to not be able to update, it was kind of enjoyable to take a break from updating. It gave me time to collect my thoughts and focus on the plots, it gave me time to write out the one-shot plot bunnies that have been hopping around my room, and it gave me time to hang out with my sister. Lemme tell ya, Jennifer+Sarah+free time+sugar+late hours=very, very interesting plots. XD Check out the many, many, _many_ one-shots I wrote during my metaphorical jailtime. :D PMs will be answered sometime today or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow.

2) Okay, I heard that Fanfic is gonna go through an delete all the song-fics and fics that they think aren't child-appropriate. Can someone give me the low-down on this, because I will be super pissed if i log on and find that all my song-fics have been deleted.

3) I logged on to find that fanfic has editted the review button again. Now it's a review _box. _Was anyone else insanely giddy when you found out that you wouldn't have to open a new page to review? I know I was. :)

4) SO... guess what happened last Thursday! A drunk driver sideswiped my father's workcar, which is the car that I was learning to drive in. this doesn't really matter to any of y'all (other than giggling at the irony of my father's car getting sideswiped the same day I put a picture of Sideswipe as my desktop background.), but it now means I have to learn to drive in a huge truck. -_- Kill me.

5) I love how Flamefall has been dubbed "new slagger" and "rude slagger" by all y'all. XD I giggled at every review because only, like, three people actually called him by his designation. Flamefall, I think my readers hate you! XD

6) There may be some inconsistancies in this chapter. i reread it over and over, but i feel like something's missing... Huh. Oh well. Enjoy! :)

7) I couldn't figure out who, but somebody asked me when I would be publishing my Jazz/Oc/Sunstreaker fic. I have it written to... I think the fourth chapter, but there are many reasons why it's not out yet. Here's the deal: (1) I'm not good with working on more than one story at a time. One of the stories always gets neglected, as we discovered when I was writing _Three's a Crowd, A Little Burst of Sunlight, and A Rough Road to Recovery_ at the same time. I was unable to delegate time and prioritize, which ultimately ended in _Road to Recovery_ being discontinued, _Three's a Crowd_ being at a complete standstill, and _Burst of Sunlight_ stuck with a single chapter left. I don't want this to happen with _Through a Cybercat's Optics_, and I know all y'all don't want that either, so I'm waiting until I'm almost completely done with this fic.

The other thing... which y'all will hate... I'm putting it off because this next chapter fic will likely be my last. I need to let go of fanfic so that I can focus on my own novels. You see, fanfiction . net has become an addiction to me. i love that I actually get feedback from my readers, and I love the instant gratification I get from seeing that people actually like what I write. However, I need to get out of the habit of expecting the feedback. While I'm on fanfic, the feedback is good because it teaches me what I'm doing wrong and what my readers like, but I won't receive that in the real world, so I have to... I guess you could say that I have to slowly let go. I was going to leave after the end of this fic... but I had already put up the poll and everyone was already expecting the next one. Besides, I need to work with darker characters without turning them into fluffy sweethearts like I accidentally did with Soundwave. Sunstreaker, a new OC that will appear in the next fic, and the new Jazz are my final lessons. I'm almost ready to go out and actually write my own book... So I'm kind of putting off publishing this last fic because I know it will be my last. *Insert sad smile* So yeah... that's why Its not out yet. :) Hope that answered everything. The first sneak peek at the new fic will likely be posted with chapter 50, so it should be out in two months max. :)

8) Everyone go look up **LeaderPinhead**'s fic _"Pint Sized."_ It's adorable, and LeaderPinhead deserves the fans and reviews. :)

**Everyone vote on my new poll! It's important. Mostly. :)**

**My goal for today is to update every single one of my fics, aside from my discontinued one. So let's see how this goes.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 41<p>

Passed the Point of No Return

5,875 words

* * *

><p>"How's… doing…Probably soo… Can't say whe… maybe… Oh, her systems… up… Moonstrike… up… Wake up… C'mon, femme. I don't have all cycle."<p>

My optics flared online, before dimming at the bright light above me. A shadow covered the light and I allowed my optics to fully online again. They focused on a face just above me. I stared at the face until I realized it was Ratchet's face, and I noticed how _close_ it was to mine. I shrieked, startled by this discovery and sat up as Ratchet leapt away from me. I stared at him, horrified.

"Did we bond? Is this another nightmare?" I asked frantically, searching through my bonds.

"Primus slaggit, femme! I was trying to cover the lights while Wheeljack dimmed them. Why the slag do you keep having nightmares about bonding with other mechs?" Ratchet demanded, frustrated. "Isn't Prime satisfying enough?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that, Ratchet?" I asked in a flat voice. Ratchet rolled his optics at me as he moved down to my lower leg. I looked down to see what the damage was and was pleasantly surprised to see that there was none. "Wow… You're good," I noted in appreciation. Ratchet smirked.

"That's because I've been a medic since before you were sparked," he claimed proudly.

"Wow… you're really old," I replied with a grin. Ratchet's engine sputtered.

"Now see here, you little—" he began, pulling a wrench from subspace and waving it around.

"My, my, Moonstrike. You've only been online for a few kliks, and already, you have Ratchet threatening you with a wrench," Optimus said in amusement as he walked into the medbay, sparkling in hand.

"Yes, and now that you're here, get her out of my medbay!" Ratchet snapped. "And she's not to put weight on that leg for three more solar cycles!"

"_Three_?" I exclaimed. Primus! Was I _ever_ gonna walk again?

"I can make it more, if that's what you want," Ratchet threatened irritably. I grimaced.

"Fine. You win," I grumbled.

"What about her shoulder?" Optimus questioned as he set a snoozing Megatron in my lap. Megatron stirred at the movement and looked up at me, giving me a cute, drowsy smile.

"My danni," he chirped as he cuddled into my lap.

"No heavy lifting. She can hold light things, such as a datapad, energon cube, or—"

"Sparkling?" I interrupted, with a hopeful expression. Ratchet glared at me for interrupting.

"Yes. Holding Megatron should be okay. Speaking of whom, would it be alright if I check his systems real quick while he's here?" Ratchet questioned, looking down at aforementioned sparkling.

"Of course," I replied, lifting Megatron up for easier access. The mechling chirped as curled up in my arms, cuddling into the heat my spark gave off. Ratchet moved off to one of the many cabinets in the room and pulled out a small systems scanner. I maneuvered Megatron to allowed the CMO better access and watched as Ratchet gently inserted the plug into a port at the base of Megatron's neck. The sparkling immediately onlined, squeaking in fear at the strange sensation.

"Calm down, my spark. All is well," I cooed, sending him love and assurance. I probed my other bond and felt Optimus's love and adoration. I looked up at him and smiled at the soft look on his faceplates.

**::Ironhide, Chem, and Jazz set up a nursery for Megatron in our quarters:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Really… How does it look?:: -Moonstrike**

**::Wonderful. It was a storage closet that I was going to turn into a small library back when the war seemed like it would never end:: -Optimus Prime**

**::… You're putting my sparkling in a storage closet?:: -Moonstrike**

**::It has room enough for a crib and a toy chest, while giving us enough room for both of us to move around in there freely. It's close enough to our room that if we felt any distress or we felt him online, we could get to him swiftly:: -Optimus Prime**

**::It's still a closet…:: -Moonstrike**

**::Perhaps it would be easier if you did not think of it as such, though:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Whatever you say…:: -Moonstrike**

"Danni? What happen?" Megatron questioned as he stared at Ratchet with wide red optics.

"He's scanning you to check for viruses," I informed him. Megatron's faceplates scrunched up in confusion at that. He wasn't quite sure what a virus was, but if Danni and Opi weren't worried, then he was sure he didn't need to be, either.

"Well, all his systems seem to be fine. He'll be ready for his first upgrade in a few orns," Ratchet announced, smiling down at the mechling as he unplugged the scanner from his systems. Megatron chirped at the medic, who smiled back at him. That smile disappeared as he looked back at Optimus. "Now, get lost."

Optimus rolled his optics good-naturedly as he easily lifted me into his arms bridal-style. Megatron twittered happily as he cuddled into the armor above my spark. I grinned down at him, holding him in place with both arms as I gave him my full attention. To say that Megatron was thrilled by this would be a mild understatement. Over the past few solar cycles, I had been busy with one thing or another. I grimaced when I thought about just how long I had been here. Only three solar cycles. I had spent six in the Wrecker Housing Community and another one between Ratchet's medbay and Prime's house. I smiled down at Megatron. We had been together for almost an orn now.

"You seem rather cheerful this cycle," Optimus noted as we moved through the large semi-crowded hallways of the Iaconian Autobot Stronghold. I grinned up at him, ignoring the many different looks we were getting from passing bots. These looks ranged from amused smiles to irritable glares to open-mouthed surprise. I suppose some bots found it weird that Prime would be toting me around.

"I have a loving, handsome sparkmate and a beautiful little mechling. For now, life is perfect," I stated, purposefully pushing away the thoughts of the war from my mind. Right now, only Optimus and Megatron held places in my processor.

"So the rumors are true," a deep voice commented. Optimus paused in his steps, and I looked up to see a black, visored mech standing before us. The hall was empty aside from us, so the mech held our full attention. "A few 'bots said the prime finally bonded, and they said it was with a Wrecker that looked weird. Guess that's you?" the mech questioned as he moved closer. I scowled at him, growling at the implied insult. He paused, lifting his hands up in surrender.

"Just what they told me. They said he had a sparkling, too… Must be that little mech," he continued, smiling down at Megatron. I snarled at the unfamiliar mech, moving my hands so that Megatron was hidden from view. My tail flicked once from where it hung, too short to be stepped on. I allowed the spikes to rise from my tail as I lifted it in a threatening manner, sure to make the threat obvious.

"Sorry," the stranger said quickly as he stepped back.

"Perhaps it would be best if you introduced yourself. I do not recall meeting you," Optimus stated, his voice low. The mech grinned wickedly.

"I'm Quickdeath. Just recruited as an ex-'Con," the mech introduced.

"I see. Are you not on duty?" Prime asked, noting that he had no reason to be this close to the medbay unless he was injured.

"I'm supposed to report to Jazz, but I have no idea where the slagger is," the mech replied cheerfully.

"I see. I understand your predicament as I have been in the same position many times before. Rest assured that if you remain in one spot, Lieutenant Jazz will find you."

"There ya are!" Jazz's voice called cheerfully. I looked past Quickdeath to see Jazz trotting down the hall. "I've been lookin' all ovuh for ya, Deathy."

"_Deathy_?" I repeated incredulously.

"'E didn' want meh ta call 'im 'Quicky,'" Jazz confided, explaining the nickname. I grimaced.

"I can understand why. If it's any consolation, I feel bad for you," I informed the ex-'Con. "I would suggest you _not_ approach a sparkling without permission, though."

"Yeah, 'specially Moon's sparklin'," Jazz added blithely.

"Jazz, I don't think I asked for your opinion," I said flatly.

"It's 'kay, Moon. I give it away fo' free," Jazz replied. I gave him a deadpan look, then I lifted my helm primly.

"Shoo," I said loftily. Jazz grinned broadly.

"C'mon, rookie. Le's go kill s'me drones," Jazz chirped, dragging the mech away by the hand. I smiled as I watched.

"At least he's getting along with the ex-'Cons well enough," I noted. Megatron whined irritably, and I quickly moved my hands from over him as I let my body relax again.

"I believe we have his experiences with Soundwave and Chemical to thank for that," Optimus claimed. I nodded, knowing the trip to Protihex had definitely shown the 'Cons in a new light for the saboteur.

"So… where are we headed?" I asked glancing around to see that we were turning down the hall that led to the command center and our quarters. I grinned as Prime continued walking, and I perked up when Ravage trotted out of the command center and moved in our direction. Optimus paused in his walking and knelt down as Ravage got closer.

"_I was sent to retrieve Megatron for Soundwave,"_ Ravage informed me.

"For Soundwave? Optimus, were you…" I trailed of when I saw the uncontained desire in Prime's optics. Ah. That was why Soundwave was sparklingsitting. Well, be it far from me to ruin the prime's plans. I grinned as I held Megatron out to Ravage, who closed his teeth around the sparkling's scruff bar gently. Megatron squeaked in confusion as Ravage loped back the way he came. I cocked my helm as Optimus stood and continued down the hall. We heard a happy squeal from a certain sparkling as we passed the command center, but other than the small bursts of love we sent our sparkling's way, we ignored it. Prime typed in the passcode to the door, and his lips were on mine the second the door closed behind us.

"I believe we have a few things to talk about," Optimus stated huskily as he carried me into the berthroom. He gave me another deep kiss before continuing. "Something about sparklings and a dirty processor," he added.

"I believe _you_ were the one with the dirty processor," I hummed. Optimus's engine gave a low rumble.

"We'll see about that."

* * *

><p>Shockwave scowled as he sat at his desk, looking over the datapads from the last attack. Nothing. No response. What the frag was Prime doing? Shockwave snarled wordlessly as he stood and paced to the large window in his office, staring down at the flyers who were preparing for the next assault. He had expected Prime to respond to his attack, to at least send in some troops, but he had received no such response. It was as if the prime didn't care. He huffed irritably, not really knowing whether his plan would work. He had never been negative about his plans, and at first, his attack plan on Nova Cronum had held a ninety five point three seven two six (95.3726) percent success rate – success being that Prime would retaliate, of course. However, now, he wasn't so sure. If Prime didn't want to fight, then the attacks would not cause him to retaliate, no matter the location.<p>

Thus came Shockwave's most recent plan: to attack Iacon directly. It was no secret that Iacon was Prime's proverbial jewel, his home. Not only did it hold sentimental value, but it also held historical value for all Cybertronians. An attack on Iacon jumpstarted the last Great War. How fitting that it would revitalize that Great War. He just needed to land the attack and make sure he could keep the bombardment going until the prime arrived.

However, that wouldn't solve his _other_ problem. Shockwave vented in frustration at the thought. The Wrecker mech was getting restless, and it was beginning to grate on Shockwave's circuits. He knew Rip-Rage was hiding something. He _knew_ it. Sadly, he needed the mech's support, however flimsy it was. He needed something that would make the mech want to divulge every fact he had about Moonstrike and Optimus Prime.

**::Deathfire to Shockwave:: -Deathfire**

Shockwave smiled darkly at the comm. message. Perhaps this was what he had been waiting for.

**::This is Shockwave. Proceed:: -Shockwave**

**::Well, may I start off by informing you that these slaggin' peace-loving Autobots are slaggin' annoying to be around?:: -Deathfire**

**::I presumed as much. What intel have you retrieved for me?:: -Shockwave**

**::Other than the fact that Prime's a soft-spark? Well… I found out your little Moonstrike bonded with him:: -Deathfire**

**::Frag. Well, perhaps I can use that to my advantage…:: -Shockwave**

**::Yeah. She also has a sparkling. And she's also the same femme that I asked you to help me find. Freedom:: -Deathfire**

**::**_**Really.**_** Now that **_**is**_** interesting. How do you know this?:: -Shockwave**

**::I don't forget a faceplate, especially when it had abnormal cybercat audio receptors. I passed her in a hallway. I don't think she even recognized me:: -Deathfire**

**::And you are certain her is bonded with a sparkling?:: -Shockwave**

**::Yeah. The rumor mill here moves pretty fast. I heard about the bonding and the sparkling after being here for only a few breems:: -Deathfire**

**::But she is not sparked, correct?:: -Shockwave**

**::Naw. She already had the first sparkling. She denied being with spark in the rec room at the beginning of the solar cycle:: -Deathfire**

**::I see. What else do you have to report?:: -Shockwave**

**::Well, both your torturers are here. Both Chemical **_**and**_** Soundwave. And they aren't the only outsiders on base, either. We have a handful of Wreckers and ex-Decepticons here:: -Deathfire**

**::And their reasons for being there?:: -Shockwave**

**::I don't know. I didn't want to snoop around. Not with them:: -Deathfire**

Shockwave nodded to himself, understanding this completely. Decepticons, by habit, are extremely suspicious beings, trained so from vorns on infighting, backstabbing, and betraying. If a Decepticon found out that somebot was nosing around in their business, it would no doubt be reported to the prime, and that was something they couldn't afford.

**::I see. Your orders are to remain undercover. When Iacon is attacked, you will discretely capture the femme, and you will bring her here: -Shockwave**

**::But, you said I could keep Freedom!:: -Deathfire**

**::That was before she turned out to be the femme I wanted. You have your orders. Do not disappoint:: -Shockwave**

**::… Yes, sir. Deathfire out:: -Deathfire**

Shockwave's dark smile grew when the link was dropped. This was working out splendidly. His operative had gotten in without problem, though Shockwave was sure he probably stirred up the tempers of a few Autobots. That was not his concern. The most important thing is that he now knew what the Wrecker was hiding. He smiled darkly as he sent a summoning comm. to the Wrecker mech. He moved back to his desk as he waited for the mech to arrive, and he settled down in the chair comfortably.

Rip-Rage walked into the office without knocking, his optics dimmed with fatigue and his paintjob dull and chipped. Shockwave grimaced at the mech's appearance. Honestly, had the mech even _visited_ the washracks since arriving here? Putting his disgust for the mech's physical hygiene, or lack thereof, aside, Shockwave began the conversation that he knew would completely change the mech before him in some way.

"I suppose I should just get to the point of this conversation and spare you the pleasantries that you will no doubt ignore," Shockwave began.

"Yep," was Rip-Rage's dull reply.

"Very well. My spy has infiltrated the Autobot Stronghold and has found Moonstrike," Shockwave stated. Rip-Rage's optics lit up with joy, and his whole countenance changed for the better. Shockwave grinned inwardly, knowing the mech would likely be destroyed by his news. Oh, how he loved tormenting ignorant little bots.

"She is bonded to Optimus Prime," Shockwave claimed bluntly. Rip-Rage froze, optics wide and bright blue.

"She's what?" he questioned, just in case he heard wrong.

"She has bonded with Optimus Prime." And it was here that Shockwave decided to start mixing fact with fiction. "You disappeared on her, Rip-Rage, and she was depressed by this. She believed you died in the blast at the Wrecker Housing Community. Prime saw this and took advantage of her. He used her pain and suffering and showered her in praise, understanding, and promises. He led her to believe that you had died, and he used that hurt and depression to turn her emotions of love to himself. She is bonded to him, but since she lost you, she has done nothing but pine after you."

Rip-Rage was silent for a few kliks, taking in this new information. Was it true? The last time he saw Moonstrike, she said that she was going to bond with Optimus, but what if his death had affected her so? What if she really _did_ love him and wanted to bond with him? He narrowed his optics in thought. "You are certain this is how she feels?" Rip-Rage questioned suspiciously. Shockwave nodded.

"I am positive. Your fellow Wreckers would likely tell you the same thing. My spy informed me that Optimus Prime wants a sparkling, too. It's a pity that sparkling will have a mech creator that manipulates his mate at every turn. Of course…" Shockwave said slyly, "if there was a mech that loved her enough to assist her in breaking that bond…"

"A mech that loved her…" Rip-Rage repeated, looking down as he contemplated this new information. He looked at Shockwave with determination in his optics. "I'll find Moonstrike, and I'll bring her back."

"Very good! I commend your decision to fight for your femme… for your… mate. I wish you the best of luck," Shockwave stated. Rip-Rage smiled and gave a sharp nod. "Dismissed." Rip-Rage turned on his heel and rushed out of the room and down the hallway. Shockwave smiled darkly. Eliminating two problems with one variable. Rip-Rage would undoubtedly do something stupid to get himself brigged by the Autobots, all of whom he betrayed, and at the same time, it would cause Moonstrike stress, which would make her lax in her defenses, making it easier for Deathfire to capture her. Shockwave leaned back comfortably. He'd let Rip-Rage go in first and take all the blame, then he'd come in after and take his prize. He gave a dark chuckle.

Shockwave simply loved it when things went according to plan.

* * *

><p>Optimus's engine purred as he onlined. By habit, his sensors reached out to ensure that there were no intruders around him that would attack if he awoke. The first thing those sensors focused on was the warm body nestled into his side. He rumbled happily as he onlined his optics to gaze down at his mate. It was rare that he woke before her, and he relished the chance to study her sleeping form. She was completely sprawled out, half on top of him and half on the berth. Her right arm was resting on his chest plates, and her right leg was tangled with his. Her face was relaxed and peaceful, optics dark in recharge, and her audio amplifiers were limp against her helm. Her rotary blades fanned out behind her, and her tail curled loosely around his torso. He smiled down at her, love filling the bond he held with her, a bond that was astronomically stronger.<p>

"Time to awaken, my love," he purred as he nuzzled his helm against hers.

* * *

><p>I vented heavily as I felt my mate moving beside me, gently ordering me to online. My optics onlined dimly and locked with Optimus's. I stared listlessly at him, wondering why he was awake. Had the second lunar cycle even <em>started<em> yet? I moaned in irritation and nuzzled my helm into Optimus's chest before offlining my optics again.

"I'm not nocturnal," I mumbled irately. Optimus's chest vibrated with his laughter.

"I know, my love, which is why we should rise while the sun is up," Optimus replied as he rubbed my helm tenderly. I let out a whine as I allowed him to feel my exhaustion through the bond. Optimus frowned. "Perhaps you should rest, light of my life. You _did_ have a rather vigorous lunar cycle," he added with a smirk. I gave him a flat look.

"Yeah… Let's rest…" I mumbled, feeling my recharge protocols reactivating. I whined when Optimus sat up and left the berth. "_Priiiiime,"_ I whined pitifully, suddenly feeling cold without him there. I shivered a bit as I rolled over, following Optimus with my optics as he approached the door.

"I will be back. I need to get some energon for you and myself, and I need to pick up Megatron from Soundwave," Optimus stated. "By what Prowl said, there are a few more recruits inbound that will be reporting to the command center in a few breems, so I will be back in a quarter joor."

"You're leaving?" I asked dejectedly. Optimus paused in his steps and turned back to face me, sendin me a gentle smile.

"Not forever, my spark. Just long enough to get things in order, and I will not be far away. The command center is only two rooms down, and you can comm. me if anything comes up," Optimus promised as he moved to my side. He gathered my upper half into a hug before gently settling me back down on the berth. He smiled at me before he left the room. I sighed as I felt his spark moved farther and farther away but settled back anyways, and within a few kliks, I was offline again.

* * *

><p>I awoke to the feeling of being picked up. My first thought, of course, was that this was Optimus. I had grown quite accustomed to him lifting me up and moving me around in the past few solar cycles, seeing as I wasn't exactly mobile at the moment. So naturally, I cuddled into the warm chassis, trying to listen to my mech's specific spark song.<p>

That was when I realized something was wrong. The thrum wasn't in sync with mine. Seeing as we reestablished the bond only a lunar cycle ago, I knew that my spark should be in perfect harmony with Optimus's. Now that I noticed that one thing was wrong, I recognized the other things wrong. Optimus's steps were far lighter than this mech's, making the flow of movement more graceful and not jostling whatever was in his grip. On top of that, Prime's chest wasn't this bulky, nor were his arms.

My optics flashed on in a rush, and I looked up at the optics of my kidnapper. Holding me securely to his chest was a very angry, very determined, and very tired looking Rip-Rage. I stared for a beat, then looked around. We were just about to leave the prime's quarters, and I knew I couldn't let him take me outside.

"Stop!" I snapped. "Stop, stop, stop!" Rip-Rage jolted in surprise and looked down at me as he paused in his footsteps. "Just _what_ do you think you're doing?" I snapped.

"Saving you," Rip-Rage replied tersely. I stared at him.

"From _what_?"

"Optimus Prime."

"Oh, Primus _bless_! Put me down on the couch. _Now!_ We are gonna have a spark-to-spark," I snarled, pointing irately at the aforementioned couch. Rip-Rage seemed to deliberate this, glancing over at the door, then back at the couch, then at me.

"Oh, _by_ the _Allspark, _Rip-Rage! He won't be here for a few more breems. Now set me the slag down, or I will rip your fraggin' arm off!" I yelled. Rip-Rage moved quickly, setting me down gently on the couch before taking a seat beside me, swiveling around to face me.

"Now… talk," I ordered sharply. And talk he did.

"Moonstrike, you already know that I love you, and I know that it seems impossible, but we can make this work. I know you bonded with Optimus, but we can overpower that bond with our love, and—"

"What makes you think I wanna break my bond with Optimus?" I questioned. Rip-Rage snarled wordlessly.

"I know all about what that fragger did to you, what he said. It's okay, Moonstrike. If I thought you had died, I would find comfort in the arms of another, as well. Though I wish you had waited just a bit longer." Rip-Rage gently took my hands in his, and I quickly pulled them away with a scowl.

"Optimus has done nothing to me, and I didn't bond with him to get comfort."

"Of course not! He took advantage of your sadness, your grief, Moonstrike, and I understand how you must have felt without me there."

"Rip-Rage, I told you the last time we spoke of this. I love Optimus, and I don't love you."

"That's what he's led you to believe," Rip-Rage disagreed.

"I know my own emotions very well, Rip-Rage, and Optimus cannot control them," I hissed.

"But that's just it. You can't control them. You're new to the bond, and Optimus is just bonding with you to get over Elita and to satisfy his own lusts."

"How dare you! I should slag you on the spot for the disrespect and dishonor you give my mate and your alpha!" I snapped. How dare he, an _omega_, insult his alpha!

"What are you talking about?" Rip-Rage asked in confusion. My tail flicked irritably, catching the edge of Rip-Rage's attention, and my claws slowly slid out of their sheaths to cover my finger tips. He quickly moved his optics to look into mine. "It doesn't matter. Moon, I came to take you somewhere safe."

"I _am_ safe, Rip-Rage. You're the only person who doesn't agree!" I snapped.

"If you are still with that fragger that all but forced himself on you, then you aren't safe!" Without thinking, I lashed out with my claws, determined to punish the omega in my pack, to teach him manners regarding his alpha. My claws caught his cheek, and he yelped in pain as he leaned back. He overbalanced and hit the floor hard before scooting away from me.

"What was that for?" he demanded, rising angrily to his pedes.

"You will not talk about my sparkmate like that," I said coldly. Rip-Rage snarled at me.

"He doesn't even deserve you!" Rip-Rage snapped.

"And you do, traitor?" I shot back. Rip-Rage froze.

"How do you—"

"How did I find out? Your friend told me."

"Friend…?" he asked slowly. "What friend…?"

I glared at him, trying to answer, but I couldn't remember. Red optics, black armor, and a sensuous, threatening voice was all I could recall from that cycle. I frowned as I looked away. "Does it matter? You got a lot of Wreckers hurt, 'Rage," I informed him, a sad note in my voice.

"I didn't know he was gonna do this," he told me as he stood and walked over to the couch. "I did it for you, though," he said as he plopped down dejectedly on the couch.

"How does that figure? You stabbed me in the back, 'Rage, and you let me blame myself for your betrayal," I said.

"I know, but I was gonna come back for you. Shockwave said that I would be allowed to stay with you when I brought you to him."

I froze. Shockwave… said? I gave Rip-Rage a panicked look.

"Rip-Rage, what did you tell him?" I asked slowly, my voice not hiding any of my worry.

"There's no reason to worry. Shockwave just wants to help," Rip-Rage stated.

"Shockwave wants to use me as an experiment, as he did during the war. He wants to use me as an experiment, and he wants to turn you into a sparklingsitter after he kills my sparkmate," I told him, realizing just how much Shockwave had lied to Rip-Rage about.

"He wants…" Rip-Rage trailed off before surging to his pedes, hands gripping his helm. "No. No. No, no, no. No, he wouldn't do that. He promised, and he wouldn't break his promise." I stared in worry and horror as I watched Rip-Rage pace, muttering madly to himself, showing just how unhinged his processor seemed to be. "He wouldn't do that because I'm a Wrecker, and Wreckers support each other, and we'll kill him. We'll all kill him, and everything will get better. Everything—" He cut himself off, turning his optics back to me.

"Not everything. Traitors die," he mumbled. "They'll kill me. They'll kill me."

"Rip-Rage? 'Rage, calm down," I ordered in a panic-tinged voice.

**::Ratchet, I need you in my quarters with a sedative **_**now**_**:: -Moonstrike**

**::… Very well. May I ask—:: -Ratchet**

**::No. Hurry:: -Moonstrike**

"Rip-Rage, everything will be fine. You're making a canyon out of a crack," I soothed.

"No. No good. They'll kill me, and I can't protect you. You don't love me like you love him, so I can't protect you. Not good enough. Not strong enough. I'm not a Wrecker, Moon. Not a Wrecker." His helm started smoking, and my cooling system onlined.

**::Moonstrike, what's wrong? You're terrified… I'm on my way:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Hurry!:: -Moonstrike**

"Rip-Rage, calm down!" I said louder as I watched him pace, wishing that my legs could support my weight. I wanted to restrain him, but I knew my left leg would shatter if I tried. "Rip-Rage, you have to—"

"_MUTE_ _IT_!" Rip-Rage roared, pulling out an acid pellet gun and pointing it at me. I gasped and scooted backwards, trying to get somewhere safe where I didn't feel so vulnerable. I felt Prime's worry through the bond that was so saturated with my terror. "_JUST MUTE IT! I did EVERYTHING for you! EVERYTHING! _I kept the Decepticon guards from hurting you! We were _meant_ to be together! Ask any Wrecker! I've loved you from the very beginning, since you first talked Magnus into letting me into the ranks! I knew then that you felt it, too, that you understood that we deserved each other! We _belong _together, and I gave _everything_ for you! Now look where it's got me! I betrayed my whole clan, and I… I…" Rip-Rage gave me a broken look. "I can't have you..." I watched in horror as Rip-Rage turned the gun to his own spark chamber.

"Rip-Rage!" I screamed as I leapt to my feet, ignoring the slight throb in my leg as I stumbled forward. A shot rang loudly through the room, and Rip-Rage's optics flickered once before going offline. He crumbled to the floor in a heap, the acid still melting his armor. The wall that he had stood before was speckled in energon, and there was a similar blue puddle growing underneath the mech that had been my best friend for the great majority of my life. I was certain my screams could be heard around the base. I knew that the non-ending shriek echoed around our quarters. I skittered over the side of the couch and crawled behind it as I tried to reign in my terror, unable to stand the sight of Rip-Rage's offline corpse. I could keep the screams and tears at bay, though.

"Moonstrike!" a loud voice called out from the door. Optimus.

"Slag! You two mechs, take him to the medbay, now!" another voice snapped. Ratchet. Suddenly, arms were around me, and I was cuddled to a chest. I struggled, my processor locked in panic mode, but the arms held me tight.

"It's okay, Moon. It's okay. I've got you. You're safe," Optimus crooned. Our bond swelled with love, and with that, I knew that I truly _was_ safe. My vents hitched as my struggles ceased, and my screams died out into sobs.

"Is she hurt?" Kup questioned as Ratchet ran scan after scan.

"No. Just shaken up. _Badly,"_ Optimus stated as he held me. I curled up against his chest, seeking the warmth and wanting to hear the baritone of his spark song. I slowly calmed down as his spark guided mine, stabilizing it. "There you go, my love. Follow my spark," Optimus cooed.

"He-e wa-wanted t-o save m-hhe from y-y-you," I stuttered, trying to make my vocal processor cooperate.

"So he wanted to bond," Optimus surmised, a dark tone to his voice.

"It's not uncommon, Prime," came Kup's gentle, yet irritated voice. I felt a hand on my helm and looked to see that he was kneeling on Optimus's right. "Wrecker femmes are pretty rare, and it's not uncommon for one femme to have the attentions of more than ten mechs. However, when one mech finally lays a claim on her, he keeps her hidden away from the others until the bond is completely stabilized and strengthened so that no other mech can break it. We don't force ourselves on a femme, but a Wrecker mech isn't above capturing a femme and keeping her hidden until the immature bond fades away. Plus, it gives him time to prove why he would make a better mate than the other mech."

"So this is commonplace in the Wrecker ranks?" Optimus questioned.

"Primus, you act like Wrecker mechs go around stealing other mechs' femmes all the time! We're all one happy family unit, and we try not to seriously frag off each other."

"So… because I was not here to protect Moonstrike when Rip-Rage came, he automatically believed he had the right to bond with her?" Optimus asked. Kup made a strained sound.

"Not quite. You see, Rip-Rage is a special case," Kup said slowly.

"How so?" Prime asked with suspicion.

"Rip-Rage isn't—wasn't—a Wrecker," I said emotionlessly. "He was a Decepticon when he was found, as was Streamshot. They were ordered to guard over me when I was first captured by the Decepticons during my first special ops mission."

Kup snorted, and I glared at him. "What? I wouldn't even call what you attempted a 'mission,'" Kup said obviously trying to cheer me up. I simply stared at him blankly.

"I was unharmed during my captivity."

"Yeah, and you were perfectly safe when they found out who sparked you."

"And Rip-Rage and Streamshot were allowed to live?" Optimus prodded, trying to keep the conversation on course and get as much information as he could. My optics dimmed as my memory files of the last half breem replayed themselves.

"Our medic, Xenon, adopted them. Moonstrike refused to let them be killed," Kup said softly, rubbing my audio amplifier. I relaxed a little.

"He betrayed us, Kup. Rip-Rage was working for Shockwave," I whispered dejectedly. Kup's hand stilled.

"Then we need to change bases, Prime," Kup said urgently.

"It wouldn't matter," Prime said darkly. "Rip-Rage wouldn't know where we were or how to get in unless Shockwave already knew, and Shockwave had no way of knowing where we were…"

"So we have a spy in our midst…" Ratchet stated.

"Yes, and with so many different factions from the past war… I don't have a clue who it could be."

* * *

><p><strong>Guest:<strong> Well… look on the bright side. I'm back now! :D And with lots of one-shots. My mom doesn't really ground me from my laptop. It's too easy to find loopholes. She knows keeping me from Fanfic is punishment enough. Honestly, though, this has kinda been a vacation. It gave me time to collect my thoughts and finally write out the million and one plot bunnies I had hopping around in my head. Yeah, Sounwave and Blaster were spark brothers in A Little Burst of Sunlight, but I dunno what their relationship is in this one. I won't go into it, either.

**Dreamin'BIG:** Yup! Everyone's been demanding to know when they were gonna bond, and I knew I needed to get the last arc started. So… behold, we now have the prime's new sparkmate! What will their future hold?

**Autobot-Bre:** Lol. No, it sucks, cuz Sides is always going on and on about prnaking, and I have to sit in the brig with him, which, let me tell you, is super awkward, because he cuddles up to me because I'm warm and soft, and Sunny just sits there sulking and insulting me, and anytime we have some down time, he's whining and complaining about how nasty I am and such. The cons outweigh the pros. And don't even get me started on when they break out the high-grade -_-"

**Chippr:** Teehee. Check out the explanation above, darlin'. And hey, hanging out with Blurr can be interesting if you love rollarcoasters. =D

**Starscreams's Prime:** :) Who can resist sparkling Megatron? In this form, he would probably actually succeed in taking over the planet. *nod nod*

**Annebellelennox:** Dunno if being Prowl's child would be a good thing or not… He strikes me as a strict creator. It's okay, though. You can hang out with me, Sunny, and Sides ;D Yeah… Streamshot is based off of one of my more irritating friends. Boy-crazy, irresponsible, obsessive, and nosy. So, needless to say, Streamshot does annoy me to a point, but Moonstrike deals, just as I do. :)

**Chistarpax:** It was actually… remarkably enjoyable. :) Aw. Sorry you died. :( Ironhide, Optimus gonna keel you. Oooooh. Umumumumum! Glad you liked the Prime/Megsy fluff. I enjoy writing it. You will enjoy the next chapter, as well. Wait anxiously :D And as for the rude slagger. XD Everyone hates him! SUCCESS!

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Sorry for the wait! I'm free now! :D

**Leonixon:** Oh, honey, I wasn't trying to make ya feel guilty! D: I was just stating a fact. We've known each other for more than a year now, so I think we can confidently classify each other as friends. Heck, if you were coming to a Texas college, I'd offer to room with ya. So no reason to feel any guilt, especially since I don't review too often, either, and the reviews I _do_ leave aren't usually very long. I plan on adding more fluff very soon. Probably next chapter, in fact. I think the alpha family unit needs a bit of together time, don't you?

**Angel897:** Thanks. :) Glad you liked it.

**InuXKag0.0:** Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I believe you're new, so lemme introduce myself. Name's Jennifer, or Lunar Mist, M&M, Loud-Mouth, and about any other nickname that could possibly be created. Thank you for taking the time to give me some feedback, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic. :)

**A and A Pikachu Prime:** … You have my pity. Gears… Yeah, that sucks. Sorry :(

Lol. You'll love next chapter. It will be filled to the brim with fluff and happiness. And yeah, Flamefall is a bit of a Pit-spawn. Teehee. I love writing out Moonstrike and Prime flirting. She loves messing with his processor.

Oh. :( Sorry. I hate it when my dad lectures me. My mom, I can stand, because we just get pissed at each other until I say, "whatever" and walk away. My dad… I feel inadequate when he gets on to me. I am, after all, a daddy's girl. And yeah, I got the reply. I just hate sending PMs. I have ten in my inbox right now, and I rarely reply to review replies. Personal quirk. Send me an email or text, you'll get a reply in two minutes max. Send me a PM, you'll get a reply in two wekks minimum. ^^''

**RadioCityGumballs:** May I ask how you came by your username? It's fascinating (And I'm not being sarcastic, just overly curious.) I have a habit of asking people what their usernames mean when I don't understand them. It gives fascinating insight into the thought processes of other people. … Wow, totally channeled Perceptor there.

Thank you so much for the feedback and for your compliments. I strive for originality, and actually get my ideas by thinking, 'What would I read that I haven't seen on Fanfic?' It helps a lot. Thank you again for taking the time to give me the feedback.

Hey! Child of Ironhide! At least you know nobody'll mess with you! :D

**Iceshadow911247:** I shall never forget about this fic! I'm almost done with it, so I'm not quite ready to let it go. My, my… Aren't we suspicious? I suppose you don't like my new OC? Flamefall? Assuming that's his name.

Oh… Well… it could be worse. Instead of Starscream, it could have been… the _Fallen_ 0.o

**CatGirlFireflare:** XD Glad you liked. Writing fluffiness is fun! Plus, I haven't written sparkling fluff in forever. :)

**A Wiccan:** XD Better watch out for Moonstrike. ;) So true, so true. XD Hey, I'm curious because other religions fascinate me. Are you actually a wiccan, or is it just a username?

**Dawn Racer:** :) Yup. Megsy is so sweet as a sparkling. Thank you so much for the compliments and feedback. Hope you enjoy the update.

**Random Reader:** I don't like Megatron's corny exaggerated movements. Like how, when he's yelling, he jerks around with every word. Makes him looks a bit spazzy. I do love the TF Prime Soundwave. I fraggin' love his alt. mode and his hands. I can't wait for the next episode, hoping that I'll be able to finally see his face! =D

Thank you. I love Jazz so much. My Jazz/oc/Sunstreaker fic will be fun to write for that reason, though it's probably gonna be a rather dark fic compared to this one simply because it's Sunstreaker we're dealing with. Lol. If Michael Bay would hire fanfiction writers to write TF4, he'd have a hit on his hands. *nod nod*

Lol. I love making Sentinel smack Optimus. If you read my sparklingsitting fic, Optimus - well, Orion – gets smacked in the first Ohh. Handcuffed to Megatron is probably worse than being handcuffed to the twins. Does he rant a lot?

**Vivian Hale:** :) Lol. Interesting mech, indeed. We'll see just how this new slagger does in the long run. Thanks for the review. :)

**WaterEra:** I love your username. Wow! A long review filled with compliments! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all out! I appreciate the compliments! I always love it when a reader lets me know that I was successful in my endeavors. Thank you again, and welcome to the story. ;) Name's Jennifer, or Lunar Mist. Hope you enjoy the rest of it.:D

**Minnieshon:** Lol. Guess you don't like overprotective Arcee. Yes, Springer and Arcee are gonna back off now. You gotta understand why she was pissy, though. I mean, wouldn't you be overbearing if your best friend's widowed husband was found sleeping with your daughter? I mean, honestly? :)

**Thebookfan90:** Thank you for the review! I appreciate the feedback. And you've been exploring all my fics, huh? ^-^ Glad you enjoy them. that's what I'm here for, after all: to entertain with my natural abilities. Glad you like the characters, especially Soundwave. I don't think I did a good job on him, but I work with what I have, so to hear that a reader loves him so much is very nice. As for Jazz and Chem, well… Everyone loves the Jazz-man. Ya just can't hate him. And Chem is by far my favorite OC in this fic. :) He's just so cute. :3

**AlexisHuang101:** I hate it when that happens. My old phone turned off whenever I closed it. An LG Neon. Made me so mad! I'm glad you like the fic and the relationships therein. :) Moonstrike has a lot of relationships XD

**Jeannette Hetfield:** (chapter 39) Yeah TCC for me for the next three years at least. Then I wanna transfer elsewhere. I'm saving up every bit of cash I get for a car and college. Being an adult is so _expensive_! SO that the reply isn't as long as the review. I'd make it longer, but it's a chapter behind ^^''

(chapter 40) They'll probably tell him. In all honesty, if they didn't, he'd probably start asking questions anyways. Ya know... Like "Daddy, why am I named after your arch-nemesis who consequently almost destroyed our planet during a war he started...?" So, they'll explain it to him. HIs memories, though, are completely erased. Only his personality remains. After all, megatron was a good guy, but the Fallen poisoned his mind. And darling, Stream's a Wrecker. Of course she can play it smooth. After all, after spending her whole life around the Wreckers, one kinda learns how to play it smooth. ^^'' Silly femme she is. :)

Flamefall has a few issues, attitude problems, if you will. I'm sure they'll clear up. Maybe. I agree! I miss TF Prime, and I know it can't be cancelled. Not when so many people like it! I wonder if the writers are taking a break. I mean, they have to plan for TF4, right? The cartoon was supposed to just be for fun, anyways. Roberto Orci said that he liked it because it was "everything he couldn't do in the movies." So... I dunno why he wouldn't wanna continue it, especially with how much positive feedback it's been getting. Huh. -_- Micheal Bay should quit and let the fans produce the movie. We'd do a better job. Instead of killing Jazz and Ironhide, we'd kill someone annoying like... Skidz and Mudflap. And we wouldn't randomly throw a mech in last minute! (Jolt)

**Fanmanbookman:** Thanks! Glad you liked it. Hope you liked this one, as well.

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><p>Yup. Rip-Rage is now dead. Sorry for all of you that wanted Prime to be the one to kill him. this has been Rip-Rage's fate for a long, long time. The downward slide has begun, my friends, starting with the mech that had once been her best friend committing suicide in front of her. For all of you that were wondering, yes, Rip-Rage was insane. His obsessive subroutes created a sort of glitch that was slowly making him insane. *Sigh* How far we've come. i can still remember writing the park scene where Streamshot and Rip-Rage were putting up fliers while searching for Moonstrike while she was a cybercat. Slag... I can still remember when Moonstrike <em>was<em> a cybercat. The plot certainly has twisted and turned into something completely different, hasn't it? Strange.

For those of you who love fluff and Prime's protective disposition... next chapter will be wonderful for you. Like, seriously. You will love it. Sit in anticipation, cuz I'm not updating until next Saturday so i can get myself back on schedule. :)

And I've been thinking... with this new rating scale that facfic has set up... should this fic actually be rated M for violence and suggestive themes? Violence especially? Give you opinion, please. :)

Don't forget to read my many one-shots! :) Ciao!


	42. Love, Fluff, and Fun Surprises!

1) Guess what? I've decded to be super sweet and give all y'all an extra update this week! Yay, right? No updates this weekend, and I can't guarantee any of these mid-week updates next week. We can hope, though, can't we?

2) Poll, people. Pretty please. Jazz is winning! 0.o XD It will be closing on Sunday to open for my next poll.

3) My Story of Woe of today. I wanted to wear my New York boots out (Go back to chapter 26 and read the AN if you don't remember. Lemme give you a hint. If you read _A Caged Bird Doesn't Sing_, the boots i describes Lyra wearing [her feet were adorned by small, stylish combat boots. The boots were military-grade, but she had sewn buckles and straps to them to give them a bit more flair] Only my boots weren't military-grade) with my shorts and tank top. So I looked all over for them. I was convinced I took them upstairs. So, once I had exhausted every other possible hiding place, I looked in the Downstairs Closet Of Forgotten Shoes. We call it this because my mother has a habit of tossing shoes in there when she finds them lying around the house. Anywho, I opened the closet, and to my dismay, I saw my New York boots almost immediately. I hesitantly picked it up and looked inside. There was a huge spider the size of a thumbnail living in it. i shrieked and dropped it, and seven more baby spiders skittered out of it. Yep. I'm never wearing my New York boots again. Curse this arachnophobia -_-

4) Enjoy (I actually really love how I worded the first part of this chapter *nod nod*)

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><p>Chapter 42<p>

Love, fluff, and fun surprises

3,835 words

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><p>I stared blankly ahead as Optimus held me, not able to focus on anything other than the fact that my best friend had just killed himself because of me. Ratchet had long since come and gone, having briefly scanned me to ensure that I didn't reinjure my leg, before hurrying with Kup to check on Streamshot. I still hadn't heard anything back about her current condition. I'd have to go visit her, I realized with a flash of panic. How would I be able to look her in the optics after what had just happened?<p>

"Calm yourself. All is well," Optimus crooned as he cuddled me close, flooding the bond with his positive emotions, as he had every other time my mind started processing negative things. Once Ratchet had left a few breems ago, Prime had lifted me up carefully and carried me out of the room. He had gone so far as to turn his back to the huge energon puddle on the ground and walk sideways to ensure that I didn't see the scene of the crime. He took me to his huge office and slowly sat down against the wall, right beside his door with me sitting sideways in his lap. He cuddled me close and flooded the bond with positive feelings. I gave a quiet keen of agony as I curled into Prime's arms.

"I know, my love. I know. It hurts, but it will pass," Optimus assured me gently. I whined and shook my helm.

"My fault," I whispered. Worry and a bit of anger flowed through the bond, but I knew the anger was not meant for me. It was meant for the mech whose corpse lay in the back of Ratchet's medbay waiting to be taken to the crypt at the front of the base. I knew that it would then be transported to a Wrecker mausoleum so that Rip-Rage could be laid to rest with his brothers and sisters who had died in the war.

"This is not your fault, Moonstrike. This is Rip-Rage's fault for being unable to cope with reality. He knew you did not have feelings for him yet he attempted to force his feelings on you. You are in no way to blame for this," Optimus said firmly. I looked up at him, seeing the fierce protection in his optics. It combined with the love that flowed through the bond, and I knew there was no way I _couldn't_ believe him. I whimpered a bit as I lifted my helm and gently kissed him.

"He betrayed us. He's been working for Shockwave, Optimus. He's been giving him information," I whispered as Optimus valiantly restrained himself from kissing me again. I almost giggled at how determined he was to pay attention to my words rather than my lip components. Now wasn't the time for laughter, though.

"Isn't it? There was an Earth saying that spoke of laughter being a good medication," Optimus purred.

"Prime, we don't have time to—" I began, but I was cut off by his lips on mine.

"Do you have any idea how scared I was?" Optimus asked as he leaned his helm on mine. I shuttered my optics, surprised by the sudden change of topics. I slowly shook my helm, not understanding where he was going with this. "All I could feel was your fear, your… _terror_, and I knew—I _knew_—that I wasn't going to reach you in time. I _knew_ that something was going to happen that I wouldn't be able to fix. It terrified me to think that I might have been about to lose you. I… I don't want to experience that again."

There was silence as he finished his confession. His grip on me tightened, one arm wrapped around my waist, clutching me to his body while the other held my helm to his chassis, just over his spark. My own spark beat in time to his, a perfect harmony held between the two. He bent his legs, moving toward a fetal position, and trapped my body between his legs and his chest. I almost smiled. What a sight we must have been, with Prime curled around me and my legs sticking out of his protective curled mass. It didn't matter, though. The only thing that mattered was the sound of his spark.

"How is Megatron?" I asked suddenly, feeling that the sparkling's bond seemed rather inactive for this time of the morning. Optimus chuckled, sending shivers down my strut.

"If there is one thing my… creation and I have in common, it is the mutual dislike of early hours," Optimus stated as he uncurled a bit. He opened his chest plates a bit—a difficult feat due to our close proximity—and brought out a limp bundle of wires and metal. Megatron was placed in my lap as Prime closed his chest plates, and Optimus curled back up, hunching his shoulders a bit to make a cocoon of sorts around his small family.

"It's strange… Normally _I'm_ the morning person in this family unit, yet I was exhausted. Don't say it," I added quickly when Prime smirked and opened his mouth. He closed his mouth, settling back with a grin.

"I don't know what you mean," he said with mock innocence. I gave him a stern look, though I think the effect was ruined by the smile on my lips.

"Prime," I said in a warning voice. "Not around the sparkling." Optimus's grin softened into a smile.

"You two look beautiful together," he claimed, moving one hand to rub my audio amplifier and the other to rub Megatron's helm. "My family," he murmured. I purred and smiled as I relaxed back into his chest, holding Megatron securely to my chest.

"He's so special, a gift to us from Primus," I whispered as I rubbed Megatron's back. Optimus's engine rumbled soothingly as nuzzled my helm.

"You both are," Optimus asserted gently. "I never thought I would love again, never thought I would be given a family." I looked up at him, nuzzling my face against his.

"If anyone deserves this, my love, it is you," I said softly. Optimus hummed happily as he nestled us closer, though it seemed impossible to do.

"Danni? Opi?" Megatron's little voice squeaked. We looked down at the mechling in my arms and smiled when his little red optics flicked on dimly.

"Good joor, sparklet," Optimus cooed. Megatron gave him a drowsy smile as he snuggled into my chest, seeking out the sound of my spark. "He needs to refuel. Would you…?" Optimus trailed off as he pulled a bottle out of subspace, uncurling a bit as he did so. It suddenly occurred to me that I had yet to feed my own sparkling. I grinned as I grabbed the bottle and tilted Megatron onto his back, maneuvering him to where he lay comfortably in the crook of my arm. His optics flashed excitedly as he grabbed at the bottle, which I steered toward his mouth. I smiled, spark filled with wonder and love as I watched him suck down the low-grade. I felt Optimus's contentment floating through the bond as he watched me feed his son.

Megatron pushed away the bottle when there were only a few drops left and looked around the room with interest. Optimus seemed to be amused by the little one's excitement and curiosity. I smiled at my mate as we watched Megatron look straight up at the ridiculously tall ceiling with a wide mouth.

"He's so cute," I giggled. Megatron looked at me and gave a childish smile at the sound of my voice.

"I love you. Both of you," Optimus stated, and there was no denying the feelings he sent over the bonds. Megatron giggled and squealed as he patted his opi's chest armor. I sent my love back to him and to my mechling and grinned when Megatron trilled happily before flopping down in my arms.

**::Prime, we need to talk:: -Kup**

I jumped when Kup's voice came over the intercom of Optimus's office. Optimus groaned, irritated that our family moment was being interrupted. I smiled at the prime and giggled a bit when he sent me a mock glare. I reached up with one hand and rubbed one of his antennae, giggling when he relaxed, much like I did when someone rubbed my audio amplifiers.

**::Prime?:: -Kup**

"Do we _have_ to do this now?" Optimus called out, turning his helm upwards a bit. Looking up, I could see that the intercom system was just above us.

**::Yep. I'm 'fraid so:: -Kup**

"Primus _bless_," Optimus muttered in irritation. "Very well. Come in." The door beside us slid open, and Kup very nearly tripped over my legs as he entered the room.

"Slaggit! What the frag are you two doin' down there?" Kup demanded.

"Watch the language!" I snapped. Kup shuttered his optics at me, then leaned forward a bit.

"Ah. Li'l Megatron is here," Kup noted after seeing the pair of bright red optics staring him down. "Well, here's our probl'm," Kup began, crouching by our side. The change in Prime's demeanor was instant and extreme. Optimus's engine let out an infuriated roar as he leapt to his pedes and moved away from Kup, both me and Megatron still in his arms. He stood in a slight crouch, prepared to run at a moment's notice as he stared Kup down. Kup, for his part, blinked in surprise as he stared at the prime, then a look of comprehension washed over his faceplates.

"Ah," he said in sudden understanding. "Protection protocols. This attack must've really riled you up, Prime," he noted with a frown. "I, however, am a Wrecker, and you can rest assured that yer mate is perfectly safe with me."

"I do not take chances," Optimus growled. I frowned as I looked up at my mate from where I cradled in his grasp. I was surprised at how strange he felt through the bond. Overprotective and somehow… I didn't think he was fully processing his actions before he acted.

"Prime?" I called out softly. "You're worrying me." Optimus briefly nuzzled my helm without taking his optics off Kup.

"My apologies, my mate," he stated briefly. Kup hummed in thought.

"Moonstrike, I believe y'r mate is beginnin' to think along the lines of a Wrecker," the older mech claimed. Prime tensed as his gaze sharpened.

"What do you mean?" Prime questioned. Kup merely grinned at the prime.

"I mean, you're startin' to adopt some a' Moonstrike's programming. Anytime a non-Wrecker bonds with a Wrecker, they tend to start showin' some a' the Wrecker traits. Take Arcee, fer instance," Kup explained. "She wasn't so… gung-ho 'til she bonded with Springer."

"I… see," Prime said slowly, turning his curious gaze to me.

"See, you're showin' the over-protectiveness of a newly mated Wrecker mech," Kup noted with a grimace. "Which means it wouldn't be wise to give you this news." Prime frowned at this.

"May I ask why?" Prime asked, returning his gaze to Kup.

"It'll send you ov'r the edge. For now, you need to spend time with Moonstrike and Megatron. Prowl and Jazz can handle yer work load with my help," Kup stated. Prime grimaced.

"My position as prime still stands whether I am bonded or not," Optimus stated. I felt a brief flash of fury at that statement, but pushed it back before it passed over the bond. "Tell me what's going on." Kup studied the prime for a klik before speaking.

"We've received word that Shockwave's army is on the move, and their course is set on Iacon," Kup stated darkly. Optimus's growled lowly.

"I see," Optimus muttered angrily.

"I can stay with Moonstrike and Megatron if you wanna call a meetin' with the officers," Kup offered, holding out his arms to us. Optimus jerked his arms to the side with a glare, much like a sparkling would do with a toy that he didn't want to share, gaining a squeak of surprise from both me and Megatron.

"Moonstrike is welcome to accompany me to a meeting. As my mate, she would discover anything we spoke of anyways," Optimus declared. I smiled.

**::I **_**love it**_** when you use your alpha voice:: -Moonstrike**

I grinned when Prime stiffened and turned his glare down to me. I kept my expression innocent, widening my optics and smiling coyly.

**::You… are…:: -Optimus Prime**

I grinned at his lack of words. I felt accomplished. I, a common femme, had made the great Optimus Prime speechless!

**::Pest:: -Optimus Prime**

I giggled at his teasing words.

**::You wouldn't have me any other way:: -Moonstrike**

"Okay, you two love-bots. Enough of that mushy internal flirting slag," Kup snapped.

"Language!" I snarled. "If my sparkling picks up cursing, I'm coming after you will a welder!"

"I don' doubt it. Now, I'm gonna go visit Streamshot. See you two later," Kup said before walking out the door. I groaned heavily as the door closed.

"Stream… Primus, how am I supposed to face her?" I asked. Optimus looked down at me.

"Later. I believe Megatron is tired of sitting still," Optimus observed. I blinked and looked down at the sparkling in question. Though he knew to stay still when his parents' sparks tensed up, it didn't mean he liked it. In fact, he didn't like staying still at all.

"Down, Opi. Down," he ordered as he pushed away from my chestplates irritably, and Optimus chuckled as he sat back down in the middle of the office. I placed Megatron on the floor on his stomach and watched as he exercised his limbs, kicking at the air energetically. He turned and looked up as me with a look of frustration.

"What?" I asked with an indulgent smile.

"No move. Want move," Megatron claimed. I shuttered my optics in surprise.

"Think it through, my spark," I told him, knowing that there was nothing I could do to help him. Megatron huffed irritably as he pushed himself to his hands and knees. He rocked back and forth, trying to figure out how to move, but he couldn't figure it out. He vented irritably as he worked it through his developing processor. Then, to our immense surprise, Megatron tucked his pedes under so that he was in a tent position and walked his hands up to his pedes. He pushed off with his hands and worked to find his balance as he stood up. When he started leaning back, both Prime and I reached forward to catch him, but the sparkling moved a foot backwards and caught his balance himself. I couldn't hide my pride, which flowed through the creation bond easily and mixed with Prime's pride. Megatron twittered in concentration as he leaned forward a bit and lifted his back ped. He took a shaky step forward and lost balance. He landed heavily on his skidplate, but immediately rolled back over to his hands and knees.

"Not wight. W'ong," he muttered irritably and worked at standing himself back up. Optimus nudged me through the bond, and I leaned my helm back to smile up at him, delighting in the smile he sent down to me. "Do wight," Megatron mumbled, bringing our attention back to him. He lifted a ped, but started to fall forward immediately. I quickly reached out an arm, and Megatron caught himself on it, using the sturdy appendage to help him regain his balance. The mechling took a wobbly step forward, using my arm to keep his balance. When he successfully took the step, he turned and beamed up at me with a happy trill.

"I do, Danni! I do!" he cheered, rather proud of his new achievement. I grinned at him.

"Yes, you did! Look at you!" I applauded happily, proud of my little mech. Megatron, now knowing that taking these steps would get him such attention, bravely took another step forward, and another, and another. He positively preened at the joy and pride flowing through the bond as he taught himself how to stay stable.

"I can't reach any farther, sparklet," I informed him after his tenth step. Megatron paused and looked up at me in worry. He clicked to himself as he debated whether it his new task was worth pursuing by himself. After all, if he wanted the help, he would have to turn around, something he didn't know if he was quite ready for. He puffed his chest plates up comically and carefully stepped away from my arm. I clapped, proud of him, as he continued walking without aid.

"Good job, Megatron," Optimus praised with a broad smile. Megatron chirped in pride as he walked in a wide arc before heading back our way. He moved a bit too fast on the last few steps, causing him to trip over his own feet, but I was there to catch him. He fell right into my arms, and I scooped him up and cuddled him to my chest.

"Moonstrike, I have contacted my officers, and they will be here shortly," Optimus informed me. I scowled, hating that our family time had to be interrupted, but I knew I had no room to be angry. It was war, and on top of that, it was a war being fought to protect me. What right did I have to complain? For some reason, this thought made me even angrier. I had _every _right to complain! He was _my_ mate! _Mine!_ I pushed the thoughts away, though.

"Did you comm. someone to come get me?" I asked in a surprisingly prim voice. Optimus seemed just as surprised by my irritated voice as I was.

"No… I had planned for you to remain here," Optimus stated. I nodded in understanding as he lifted me up and carried me to his desk. I grinned when he sat me on the desk and started moving one of the chairs that sat in front of his desk so that it sat behind the desk next to his chair. I watched him closely as he worked, thinking about how handsome he was when flexed his arm cables when he lifted the chair.

"And what do you plan to do with Megatron during this time?" I questioned as I watched him work.

"I was hoping you would watch him," Optimus confessed. I felt a flash of anger.

"Oh, so since I'm the femme, I'm expected to watch the sparkling?" I demanded with a scowl. Optimus jolted and stared at me, and I realized that I had just had another mood swing. I frowned as I looked down at Megatron, who was tugging curiously on my chest plate armor. He'd tug a little, look down at his own chest, tug at his own chest armor, then tug at mine again. I wasn't quite sure what he was looking for or wanting to discover, but he wasn't hurting anything, so I let him entertain himself. When I looked up, Optimus had finished setting the chair and had moved to my side.

"Are you alright, my love?" he asked with a frown. I sighed and shrugged.

"I don't know. I think I'm just tired and stressed, and everything's happening at once, andI don't know what to do anymore because once everything starts to settle down, something else comes up, and… and…" I looked up at him with wet optics. "I don't know what to do anymore," I whimpered. Prime looked mildly horrified when I started crying, and I tried to stop. Honest to Primus, I tried to stop, because I hated crying, I really did… But I _couldn't_, which made me cry harder, because I wanted to stop crying. Megatron whistled at me, not understanding why I was crying. Well, that made two of us. Optimus gently wrapped me in his arms.

"It's okay, light of my spark. Everything will get better," he promised. I whined pitifully.

"It's not fair that I have to cry over nothing!" I wailed. Optimus tensed before he started to lightly shake. "Optimus?" I whimpered, but he didn't say anything. If anything, his shaking grew a little worse. Then I realized that he was laughing, and his amusement flowed heavily over the bond. My tears picked.

"Optimus, you're so _mean!"_ I cried. Megatron trilled irritably as he attempted to figure out the situation. His danniluk was sending very strange emotions through the bond while his opiluk only sent amusement and love.

"I apologize, my spark," Optimus choked out through his laughter.

"No, you're _not!_ You think it's _funny!"_ I wailed.

**::Prime? This is Prowl reporting:: -Prowl**

**::An' Jazz! Can't fo'get meh!:: -Jazz**

"Optimus is _mean!"_ I called out. There was silence on the other side of the link before I heard Jazz's laughter. The door opened, and Jazz sauntered in, followed by Prowl, who looked rather confused. Jazz chuckled as he moved closer to me and my mate. Optimus was no longer hugging me, but he kept a hand firmly around my waist as if preparing to whisk me away.

"Don' worreh, Prime. Kup gave us the low-down on yo'r possessive traits," Jazz chirped before he turned his attention to me. "Aw, kitt'n, wha'd he do to ya?" Jazz crooned with a small smile.

"I don't even know anymore," I whined. "It won't stop!" With that finally said, I let my helm drop against Optimus's chest as I sobbed over absolutely nothing.

"Perhaps it's delayed emotions from the incident from earlier?" Prowl suggested as he studied me.

"I could not say," Optimus admitted.

"Danni?" Megatron chirped. He gave a low whirr as he looked up at me.

"I'm okay," I promised him. "Optimus, can you take him?" I asked, lifting the sparkling to my mate as I wiped furiously as my tears. Primus, why wouldn't they _stop?_

"Fraggit, mech! What the slag did you do to her!" Ratchet snapped as he stomped into the room, Ironhide and Mirage following behind him.

"_Nothing_," Optimus said defensively. Ratchet scowled as he approached us, and he pointedly ignored Optimus's growl of warning as he lifted my face so that he could see it properly. He pulled a polishing cloth from his subspace and gently wiped at the energon tears.

"Now, why are you leaking like this?" Ratchet asked in a strangely gentle voice.

"I don't—" I began, but cut off with a gasp when I felt a sharp pain cut through my spark. I curled in on myself and gave a short keen of pain.

"Frag!" Ratchet swore as he pulled a scanner from subspace.

"Language! Sparkling audios!" I snapped through clenched dentas.

"Megatron could cuss worse than me in his day, femme," Ratchet informed me as he unfolded me enough to scan my chest, right over my spark chamber. There were two small beeps, and Ratchet's optics dimmed a little as the scanner sent him the information.

"Aw, frag," Ratchet repeated, sounding irritable. He gave Optimus a flat look. "Congratulations, Prime. You're gonna be a creator."

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><p><strong>Luna Uchiha666:<strong> Yeah. Those were my thoughts. Violence would be the only reason to rate. Glad you got into it. I was like that with one of my friend's stories :) And don't worry. The fluffy scenes make me blush too. I'm so sheltered that the heated kisses are like "Okay… This is awkward, but cute…" Somehow, it's worse for me because I envision it like a movie as I write it. XD But it turns out alright in the end, because when I reread it after I published it, I'm like, "Neh, it could've been worse. This isn't too bad…" XD Thanks for the review. :)

**Fanmanbookman:** Yeah. I dunno how many more of those emotional chapters there will be. I don't _think _I have anyone else planned to be killed, but that may change. Wow. That sounded very… creepy. Huh. Hoped you liked the update.

**Autobot Echo:** I slaggin' _love_ your profile pic. XD Yeah, but don't worry. A mech is gonna come into her life and fix everything up. ^o^ Glad you like. :)

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Lol. I love how now that he's dead, everyone feels bad! I remember when everyone was like, "Optimus, add Rip-Rage's face to your collection!" XD Yeah, he was misunderstood with a touch of insanity. Yeah. I think it's the same for everyone. No one wants to lose their bestie. No worries, hon. It was probably be another year or so before I leave. Remember, it took me a year and a half to finish this fic, so it should take me the same amount of time to complete the next one. :)

Eh heh. You're talking to the wrong chick about lovin' trucks. I may live in Texas, but I hate driving pickups. My mom has a Toyota Tacoma, and I hen I drive it, it feels like I'm driving Optimus. No joke. I can't stand it. You see, I have my eye on a cute little Pontiac Solstice. White. I got everything picked out for it, license plates number and everything. *nod nod*

And high school? I had a single rule for high school: survive. But we didn't have a lot of problems at my school, either. I was a part of every clique, and we didn't have bullying problems until this last year. So just, survive. It's only four years of your life, and then you never have to see your classmates again (I cannot even begin to tell you how happy that piece of knowledge gave me). Don't stress the small things. They'll settle themselves out. Worry about the big things. You'll be fine. :)

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** I try. For some reason I can't ever make a chapter completely sad. Gotta add something positive in there. I gotta try to get away from that. My next fic isn't going to be sunshine and fluffballs, I hope. I have to practice writing serious, dark stuffs. It should be interesting. We'll see how that works out… -_-

**Guest:** Glad you like it. :) Thanks for the review.

**Angel897:** Thanks you for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. :D

**Thebookfan09:** I'm sure my fans love my Soundwave, but I don't really like what I did with him. Honestly, though, you're your own greatest critic, so that probably has something to do with it. The Soundwave in _"A Caged Bird Doesn't Sing"_ seems more right. Kind of dark, doesn't mind torture, and doesn't mind causing pain. Ya know? I'm still thinking of the M thing… Really, it's the chapters where she rips out the sparks that makes me doubt the T rating. And the battle-scenes. According to the new crack-down codes, those should be rated M… I dunno, though. I'm still deciding…

**Iceshadow911247:** Yeah, at the time, it had been a poke at Megatron calling Jazz a "cretin" before killing him. I changed it though. Avoid any drama that could become of it :)

Lol. Flamefall has an attitude issue… sorta. Honestly, he can't be _all_ bad, right?

My, my. You are quite upset by Quickdeath being Deathfire, aren't you? XD I tried to make him seem innocent… It didn't work? *wide eyes*

BAHAHAHAHA! It is ridiculously easy to make puns from Rip-Rage's name. XD And don't worry. Me and Sarah have been making puns about his name since he got his first character sketch. XD And you are one of few who are glad he's gone. Most of my readers feel bad for him 'cuz he was so misunderstood. You have no pity, though. XD He _did_ have it soming to him. Literally. I've been planning this from the beginning. Poor guy never stood a chance.

**A Wiccan:** :D Then I have succeeded. That scene was planned far in advance. Ya know of all the many religions I have encountered, you're the first Wiccan? Nifty! So can I ask you what their beliefs center on? I mean, I've heard that they are about worshipping nature, but it's always cool to hear it from one who is actually a part of the religion. :) (If I'm overstepping bounds, lemme know. I'm just curious :] )

**Guest who is Starscream's Prime:** XD I'm the exact same way. I hate logging in, because you have to do seven hundred different things to log in now :( Takes forever. Then again, I don't review a lot anymore period. -_- I hate the new review box because you have to keep scrolling back and forth to review. At first, I thought it was nifty to not have to open a new window… Nope. Not anymore.

Lol. Well, his name is "Rip-Rage" for a reason. He has a few anger-management issues. Don't worry. Optimus will find out it's Quickdeath. Now will he find out _before_ it's too late? Hmmm… good question… ;)

:) Ironic that you asked for a sparkling the chapter before you found out she was sparked. Hope you are happy, my friend. :D

**Lunar Radioactive: **Lol. Dunno if those are good "wow's" or not, but thanks for the review =D

**WaterEra:** :) I have succeeded, then. I'm so glad you liked it. I was gonna cut it off right after he shot. Ya know, write something like, "I watched in horror when he lifted the gun. He pointed it at his spark chamber. And shot." But I knew y'all would _kill_ me if I did that so I just kept it going.

Thank you for all the compliments. I love receiving reviews like that, and I love how you really delved into the emotional aspect and wrote down what you thought. I really need things like that, because they teach me. Thank you for your review, and I hope I can make your emotional investment worth while :)

**Leonixon:** :) You'll get there, though. It took me eight years to get where I am. It takes time, but once you get there… it makes it all worth it. My goal is to give readers something more substantial to read. When competing with… well, Twilight, I think I have a pretty good chance. I hope. My dream is to publish something that becomes so popular that it's made into a movie. *dreamy smile* I wish, hope, pray that it turns out like that. :)

I will definitely keep in contact. I'll probably get phone numbers and e-mails before I leave because I've amassed quite a few friends on this site (Most of which ended up becoming my friends due to some random question I asked. :]) So, I'll definitely keep in touch.

Oh, honey, you still got _at least_ fifteen more chapters. I ain't done with this one yet. :) And believe me, I know. I don't quite wanna let go of Moonstrike, Chem, Streamshot, sparkling!Megatron, Lunar-Mist-Version!Jazz, Autobot!Soundwave, Skyslice… Oh, Primus, I'm gonna start crying :'(

**Noella50881:** Yeah. I wasn't expecting everyone to get so… entranced, I guess, by last chapter XD. I guess it _was_ kind of intense. Heh. Glad you liked it :)

**Mrs. Knockout:** ! Oh! I'm sorry, honey! Here, have hugs! I'm sorry! Heh. Yeah, you are one of… Three?... People who are saddened by Rip-Rage's passing. Poor 'Rage. But on the bright side, he won't pine after a femme he can't have anymore. Glad you liked it, even if it was really sad. :( I'll let everyone know when I publish it, too. :) Already got the prologue all written out. It will be epic. XD That's one for upping the rating. Two for not upping it. My only concern is the battle scenes. I might end up upping it later, but I think I agree. I think it's okay for now… Thanks for the review.

**Vivian Hale: **yeah. Poor guy never stood a chance. :( Can't fight the writer's power. It's fun to look back at the beginning of the story and see how far I've come. It started out as an attempt to save a life followed by many misunderstandings and happenstances. Then came the twists and turns. We find out that she works for Shockwave, who wants to capture her and never let her go. Chem gives her a drone and sends her away to safety. Drone becomes sparkling Megatron, and a war ignites for Moonstrike! Now she's bonded and with spark. How far we've come. It's like looking back on the freshman year in high school after graduating 0.o Thanks for the review :)

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><p>Now, before i get any reviews refuting the fact, yes, sparkling Megatron learned to walk without crawling. This is possible. I know this because I never crawled. i went straight to walking. I only needed to use the furniture for a few days before i was walking unhindered. Logically, Megatron wouldn't take that long because he is a creature that can analyze what he did wrong and fix it. So now he's mobile. :D Joy, right?<p>

And now we know why Moonstrike was so tired last chapter. It's because her little baby spark was taking up all her energy as it grew. Her mood swings are uncontrollable because as the spark separated, it cause a major flux in the carrier's spark, and since the spark is the emotional center of a Cybertronian, her emotions flux, as well. :) So soon, the spawn of Optimus will be running around the base! Sunday evening, i will put up a poll on whether or not Moonstrike's baybeh should be a boy or girl, so start thinking ;)

=D Review, folks :)


	43. Twins, Friends, and Secrets Revealed

1) Sorry to be gone for so long. I've had a... crazy couple of weeks. My bestie had a baby, my mom's bestie's dad found out he had cancer all through his body (brain and spine included), and I was admitted to the hospital with pancreatitis (which sucks) So crazy week.

2) I find the new "copy-n-paste" option on the upload page to be fraggin amazing. Just saying.

3) August 25 is when Tf: Prime comes back to the Hub. I can't wait.

4) last Saturday (July 28) was Peter Cullen's birthday. Happy birthday, Optimus Prime. (I realized how much I'm gonna cry when he dies. :[)

5) I am totally going to Chik-fil-a on August 1 XD Chik-fil-a is the best!

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><p>Chapter 43<p>

Twins, Friends, and Secrets Revealed

5,042 words

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><p>Optimus froze and stared at Ratchet. I couldn't blame him. I stared, too, not fully comprehending what the mech was telling us.<p>

"That can't be true," I finally claimed, grimacing at the fading pain in my spark. "We only…" I cut off when Optimus's side of the bond suddenly went numb. My tail flicked out and wrapped around Megatron just before Prime's grip went slack, and I placed the sparkling in my arms as Optimus collapsed to the floor. Megatron giggled as he cuddled up to my chest.

"Opi fall," he chirped with a giggle. I gave a weak smile.

"Yeah. He did," I replied as I watched Ratchet fiddle with Prime's helm. I probably would have found it equally as amusing if I didn't feel the exact same way.

"A sparkling," Ironhide breathed.

"Yup, and it's gonna be the prime's," Jazz said with a grin. "You two must've been pretty busy, if ya know what I mean," he added, nudging my side. I shook my helm listlessly.

"This is terrible," I whispered. The room went silent, and when I looked up, I could see expressions of dismay and confusion. "What if Shockwave finds out? Prowl," I murmured, turning to the second in command. "The spy."

"I know, Moonstrike, and I don't think we will have to worry if none of us tell anybot. For now, this remains our secret," Prowl said firmly, looking around at each officer in turn.

"Primus, my helm," Optimus groaned. He yelped when Ratchet brought a wrench down on his helm. "Ow! What the slag, Ratchet!"

"Get up and calm your mate!" Ratchet ordered irritably. Optimus's optics immediately settled on me, and he immediately rose to his pedes and pulled me close.

"All is well," Optimus cooed as he held me.

"I know. Prowl says that the spy shouldn't find out unless we spread the word," I replied lightly, though I knew Optimus could read the fear in my spark.

"Speaking of which… Jazz, Prowl, what progress have you made toward uncovering the spy?" Optimus questioned, his optics brightening in anger.

"So far? Nowhere," Jazz claimed with a grimace, irritation filling his usually cheerful voice. He pulled a datapad from subspace and handed it over to Optimus as the leader stepped away from me to receive it. "That's a list of new recruits that were not in the Autobot ranks during the last war, and at the very bottom is a list of Autobots that weren't very _loyal_ to our cause."

"This… is a long list," Optimus murmured as he scanned through it. He looked at the saboteur. "Have we got anything further to go off of?"

"No. I'm afraid not. I'm looking into it, though. Soundwave is scanning the waves in the command room, while Blaster scans in the communication room," Jazz stated.

"I see," Optimus said with a frown. "Have you found anything that could lead to Shockwave's whereabouts?"

"Negative. We're sitting ducks, Prime," Jazz stated.

"Sitting _what_?" Prowl questioned, looking over at his best friend in confusion.

"Earth thing. Don't ask. You'll glitch," Jazz said, waving away his question as he focused his attention on the prime.

"I will send out some scouts to see if we can figure out Shockwave's plans," Optimus stated, then he turned to Ironhide. "You are to take Moonstrike to the practice room and train her."

"What?" both Ironhide and I exclaimed at the same time.

"I don't need training!" I shouted at the same time Ironhide yelled, "I don't train Wreckers!"

"What do you mean by_ that_?" I demanded, glaring at the black mech.

"Kup is here, and he is more than capable of training her," Ironhide told Prime, completely ignoring me.

"Jazz, hit him," I ordered.

"Ow!" Ironhide snapped when Jazz obeyed. The smaller mech grinned.

"She's the prime's mate. Gotta obey 'er," Jazz chirped.

"Slag you!"

"Sparkling audios! Jazz, hit 'im again!" I snapped, covering Megatron's audios.

"Enough!" Optimus said firmly. Silence reigned, and I couldn't fight back the small bit of jealousy that rose at how obedient they were. Sure, they'll obey the alpha mech, but not the alpha femme. "Now," Optimus started, fighting back a smirk when he caught my childish emotions, "Ironhide, you _will_ train Moonstrike, and Moonstrike will not argue with that. You need—" He cut off abruptly, and his optics dimmed as he received a message. His optics suddenly widened.

"Soundwave has intercepted a message from Shockwave to the traitor. He's coming now to report." Shock filled the faces of the mechs around the room.

"Danni?" Megatron squeaked, shaking my hands away as he gave me a worried gaze. I smiled down at him.

"Yes, my mech?" I asked.

"Down?" he requested. I easily slid off the desk, being ever mindful of my injury. Two more solar cycles until I could walk unaided. I allowed Optimus to help me into a sitting position on the ground, and I set my sparkling free. Megatron whistled in excitement as he started walking forward.

'Well, would ya look at that! The li'l mech is mo-bile and le-thile," Jazz said with a grin. Prowl's optic twitched at the severe butchering of the words.

"He is rather stable for just starting," Ironhide observed.

"Yup. We'll have 'im slaggin' 'Cons in the next vorn!" Jazz crowed.

"You'll do no such thing," I interjected immediately, causing Jazz to snicker in amusement. The door hissed open, interrupting our conversation, and Soundwave walked in purposefully.

"Wave!" Megatron squealed.

"Greetings Lord Megatron," Soundwave said without hesitation, then he turned his attention to Optimus. "Playing recorded conversation." Soundwave placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed a button that the other mechs knew would be inaccessible to any mech other than him and his cassettes.

"**Shockwave to Deathfire."**

"**I'm a bit busy right now. Did you ever think that it'd be unwise to contact me without knowing what I'm doing? I could be in the rec room for all you know!"**

"**Negative. You would not have accepted the link had you been in the company of somebot you believed would hack it."**

"**I suppose that's true. What do you want?"**

"**I require a status update."**

"**She's still alive but that little stunt you had the Wrecker mech pull almost ruined everything you've been working towards. She's even more guards around her now than ever."**

"**That is irrelevant. We strike at the end of the solar cycle. You will be ready to perform your role."**

"**Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. If I get killed, I'm coming back to haunt you until you die."**

"**Your statement is illogical. I will not be able to hear you after your demise, nor will I see you."**

"**It's a figure of speech, my anti-emotion computer."**

"**Watch your vocal processor, or you will lose it."**

"**Understood. I gotta go."**

"**Acknowledged. Shockwave out."**

"**Fragger."**

There was silence in the room as every bot took in the new information. I could feel Optimus's worry, and I honestly tried not to add to it with my fear, but I couldn't help it. Hearing that mech's voice stirred something in me, and my spark seemed to squeeze painfully.

"Optimus, he's gonna attack," I whispered, my voice edging near hysteria. Where was he going to attack? The base? Was I in danger in the stronghold? Was Megatron? What if he was just going to attack all of Iacon? All those deaths would be on my helm! No, no, no! This wasn't happening. There was no way this was real. My thoughts were cut off abruptly when Optimus knelt down beside me and pulled me into his arms.

"Everything is going to be okay, understood? I will not let _anything_ happen to you or the sparkling," Optimus promised. I slowly nodded at him, though I wasn't nearly as confident as he was. Megatron, who was seven sparkling-steps away from us, squeaked as he toddled back to our side and impatiently tapped my leg, wanting to get in on the cuddles.

"Daaaannnni!" he whined as he continued his tapping. I abruptly scooped him up and held him close to my spark, and he chirped happily as he snuggled up.

"Did you recognize the voice?" Optimus asked.

"I got a few mechs in mind. Imma do s'me investigating," Jazz stated, and the next klik, he had left the room, Mirage following behind him.

"I will try to figure out where Shockwave is planning to attack," Prowl claimed, leaving behind his best friend.

"I must return to the medbay," Ratchet noted as he moved to the door. Ironhide looked at me, Soundwave, and Optimus in turn.

"I've gotta go… do something," he finished lamely before quitting the room.

"I need to visit Streamshot, Prime," I murmured. Optimus nodded before opening a comm. link.

**::Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, report to my office:: -Optimus Prime**

**::But I didn't do anything yet!:: -Sideswipe**

**::No arguments:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Okay…:: -Sideswipe**

"Optimus, what are they—"

"You are not to leave my presence without at least two experienced guards," Optimus said with finality. My mouth dropped open in shock. Was he serious?

"Prime, I'm not a sparkling in need of protection," I snapped.

"No, but you do hold one in your chamber, and that is reason enough for you to have experienced guards," Prime replied without hesitation.

"Optimus," I started in a whining tone.

"No arguments, Moonstrike," Optimus ordered. He gave a small sigh as he placed a hand on my cheek. "Moonstrike, I love you so much, and I simply cannot allow history to repeat itself."

I vented heavily, slightly irritated at his comment. Honestly, how was one supposed to reply to that? There was no way I could continue this argument. I gazed at his worried and tired face and realized that I should actually be grateful for his extra precautions. He was only doing it because he loved me.

"Very well," I said in acquiescence. "But once Shockwave is dead, I'm not going to allow this," I warned. Optimus chuckled.

"Of course not," he agreed. I scowled, not liking how much he sounded like my danni had when I had first told her I could fight.

"You're—" What I was about to say was cut off by the door opening. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker strode in, one looking worried, the other looking rather irate.

"I didn't do it! Whatever they said, it wasn't me! I was _framed!_" Sideswipe shouted immediately.

"You have not been called in for punishment," Optimus stated as he rose to his pedes, lifting me as he did. Megatron gave a squeak of excitement as the height before cuddling back into my armor.

"Oh," Sideswipe said dumbly. "Then why are we here?"

"I am charging you with the guardianship of Moonstrike," Optimus informed him. Sunstreaker frowned.

"You mean we have to carry her around with us wherever we go?" he snapped, optics flashing to me only momentarily.

"No; you have to carry her around with you wherever _she_ wants to go, and at this moment, she wishes to find her friend, Streamshot," Optimus replied. Sunstreaker scowled, but Sideswipe grinned. He took a confident step forward and held out his arms in front of him. Optimus started to hand me over, but hesitated. "You will be careful with her," Optimus said, though his voice seemed to make the statement into a question.

"Of course we will. Primus, it's not like she's the first bot we've had to guard," Sunstreaker snipped moodily.

"Hey! Watch the tone when speaking to the prime!" I snapped, glaring at the golden mech. His optics narrowed at me, and his engine gave a threatening rev. Optimus's engine gave an equally threatening rev, and the prime took a step away from the twins.

"Sunny, stop it," Sideswipe hissed. Sunstreaker grunted, mumbling, "Don't call me that," as he stepped back.

"Sorry, Prime. We'll keep her safe," Sideswipe assured him.

"Very well," Optimus said. I felt his unease through the bond and sent him reassurance. These two were two of the strongest warriors he had. There was no reason to worry.

"Focus on your work," I ordered with a grin. Optimus nodded before placing me in Sideswipe's strong arms. I gave Prime a small smile, feeling like I was about to face my doom. "Watch Megatron while I speak with Stream?" I requested hopefully. Optimus snorted as he lifted the wriggling sparkling by the scruff bar. Megatron squealed with delight as he kicked his little pedes.

"I doubt Megatron will let me focus on anything other than himself while I am in his presence," he remarked as he settled the mechling over his spark.

"Opi!" Megatron squeaked as he tapped on his opiluk's chest.

"I see. Good luck, then," I chirped. "Take me to the Wreckers' barracks!"

"Yes, Leader Prime's Sparkmate!" Sideswipe responded dramatically as he about-faced and marched from the room, a grumbling Sunstreaker following after them. Optimus allowed himself a small smile as he watched the door close behind them. He glanced over at Soundwave, who was looking at him.

"I suppose it's time we got to work," Optimus claimed. Soundwave gave a curt nod, but didn't move. Optimus finally realized what the mech was waiting for and had to hold back a smile. "Dismissed," Optimus ordered. Soundwave nodded and left the room, and in that moment, he gained every ounce of the prime's respect. Optimus allowed that smile to rise as he looked down at Megatron, who was staring at his reflection again. The mechling quickly realized that his opi was ready to give him attention and looked up at him with a wide smile and a whistle.

"Now, if only all my mechs acted like that," Optimus said with a grin. A thoughtful frown soon replaced it, though. "Then again, that orncare job would have been wasted…" Optimus shook his helm with a shrug. It didn't matter. For now, he just needed to figure out where Shockwave was planning on attacking so that he could prepare his defense.

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><p>"So, that's how I single-handedly won the Battle of Zhenetox."<p>

"Wow."

"I know. Genius, right?"

"You don't have a logical strut in your frame, do you?"

"_What_? That hurts, Moon. That really hurts."

"My designation is Moon_strike. _Get it right."

"But you let Jazz call you Moon."

"Jazz is Jazz. You are you. Understand what I mean?"

"…No…"

"Look at it this way. Sunstreaker hates being called Sunny, but he knows Jazz will still call him Sunny whether he likes it or not, right?"

"…Yeah…"

"Same concept."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay. I call Sunstreaker Sunny, too, so I can call you Moon."

I groaned loudly, trying to ignore Sideswipe's grin. How did people _stand_ him? He was so slaggin _obnoxious_! The last half breem had been spent moving through crowded halls while Sideswipe told me a rather exaggerated tale of how he had faced off against seventy-five Decepticons by himself and won, and in doing so, he had apparently saved five femmes and a youngling. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly buying the story, especially since Sunstreaker kept cutting in with remarks that denied or contradicted the mech. Then, like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, we reached the Wrecker's barracks. Luckily for me, Streamshot's quarters was relatively close to the hall we entered from. I had never been so happy to reach another bot's personal quarters in my life.

"This one's it," I murmured as we neared Streamshot's door.

**::Stream?:: -Moonstrike**

**::…Yes…?:: -Streamshot**

**::I'm outside your quarters. Can I talk with you?:: -Moonstrike**

**::…I guess. The door's unlocked:: -Streamshot**

**::The twins are with me… So that you're warned…:: -Moonstrike**

**::Slag! Stall them!:: -Streamshot**

**::Umm… Okay?:: -Moonstrike**

"Wait," I ordered when Sunstreaker approached the door. The golden mech paused and gave me an irritated look. "We have to wait so that she can pull down all the pictures she has of you so that she doesn't look like a stalker." The twins blinked down at me.

"Pictures…" Sideswipe started.

"…Of us…?" Sunstreaker finished. The two looked at each other, then returned their gazes to me. "Expound," the gold mech ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Stream's in a phase," I said with a shrug. "Don't let it go to your heads."

"Riiight," Sideswipe said with a wicked grin. Attention shot to the door as it hissed open. Steamshot stood in the doorway, looking tired and miserable. I gave a sympathetic whirr as I studied her.

"Hey, Moon," she greeted with a small, hesitant smile.

"See! She calls you Moon, too!" Sideswipe exclaimed as he glared down at me. I scowled at him.

"I've known her since late younglinghood," I retorted.

"So? We've known each other for a while!"

"I haven't even known you for a half-orn!" I argued. Sideswipe opened his mouth to fight back, but he shut it when Streamshot started giggling. Both of us looked over at her in shock. She had a small smile on her face as she regarded us.

"Come in. I need to talk to Moonstrike. You two can stand outside after you set her down," Streamshot decided as she motioned the two mechs into the room.

"Do we look like personal slaves? You can't just send us to stand outside like that!" Sunstreaker snapped as Sideswipe set me on Streamshot's berth. I was amused to see that there was not a single photo on the walls or ceiling. Streamshot gave the sociopathic mech a decidedly unimpressed look.

"My best friend is the prime's mate, so if you need somebot higher up to repeat the command, you can have that. Besides, if you're in here, you're going to be comforting crying femmes," Streamshot stated. Sideswipe's optics lit up at that.

"I would be _more_ than willing to comfort _you_, sweetspark," he purred as he sidled up beside the teal femme. Streamshot rolled her optics.

"Oh, please. I already have a mech, and he could kick your aft without even onlining his cooling fans," the Wrecker femme replied with a cocky smirk. Sideswipe smirked in return.

"Pity. I'd have fun trying to tame a femme like you," he claimed lowly.

"Okay!" I interrupted before this went too far. "Twins, out!" I ordered. Sideswipe gave a pout that looked far too cute on an adult mech and followed his brother out into the hallway. The door hissed shut behind them, and my attention zeroed in on Streamshot.

"How are you doing?" I asked softly as I gazed at my friend. Streamshot gave a non-committal sound as she moved fluidly across the room to stand by me.

"As good as I can be, given the circumstances," she said finally as she sat on the berth beside me. I looked over at her with a frown. Her paint was dull, and I could see a few chips. She must have found out during or after her training session. Her optics were dimmed in fatigue, and I wondered if she had recharged at all since she had heard. I frowned, remembering that it had just been earlier this cycle that he had… died. Strange. It seemed like it had been orns ago that he had killed himself.

"I'm sorry this happened," I admitted.

"I'm more sorry that it happened the way it did," Streamshot replied honestly. I frowned at this.

"I don't understand," I said as I looked over at her. The teal femme sighed as she turned her body to face me.

"I knew 'Rage would die eventually. I mean, we're Wreckers, and we all die eventually, but I didn't think it would be by his own hand over something like this. I knew he had a crush. I mean, he _did_ say multiple times that he loved you, but I didn't think he would do this. And in front of you." A single tear fell from her optic. "It's not like him."

"I think Shockwave was putting thoughts into his processor. He kept talking about how we would be together and how he knew Prime had taken advantage of me in my grieving. In his mind, Rip-Rage was trying to save me from an unhappy bonding," I murmured as I pushed back the memory files that wanted to rise up at the thought of the orange mech.

"That doesn't excuse what he's done," Streamshot whispered. I gave a hesitant nod, not really wanting to blame the mech, but unable to argue the point.

"And what about you?" I questioned. "You seem to be taking this better than I thought you would."

Streamshot's whole countenance changed before my optics. Her optics brightened, and she gave a shy smile. Her whole face seemed to light up as she kicked her pedes lightly. "Well… that's probably because Jazz came and comforted me after Kup left," she said in a sly voice as she looked at the wall across from us. I grinned at her.

"So… am I gonna get the details?" I asked as I nudged her with my elbow. Streamshot gave a small squeal as she turned to face me again, excitement and joy covering her expression.

"So, Kup left after explaining things and trying to comfort me—I had already felt his death through the bond, so he wasn't able to do much—and Jazz came in almost a half breem later. I was sitting on the floor by my bed, crying when I felt somebot pull me into a hug." Streamshot paused here to give a girlish squeal before continuing. "He said that he had been admiring me from afar since he had saved me—oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you! He pulled me from the rubble of the last base, then he carried me to safety. How romantic is _that_?—He said he thought I was pretty and funny and sweet and fun and… well, he had a lot of adjectives, and in between each adjective, he kissed me!" Streamshot gave a mock swoon here, landing in a laying position. She continued her story as she stared at the ceiling with an expression of sheer joy. "Then he kissed me—_Really_ kissed me. Primus, that mech can _kiss_! He said he didn't love me yet, but he was pretty close." Streamshot sat up and grabbed my hands as she stared into my optics. "He wants to see me first thing this lunar cycle."

"So, you have a date with Jazz," I said with a grin. Primus, who would have thought a femme's mech like Jazz would be interested in Streamshot? I would have to threaten him for Streamshot's sake, but still. They would make a cute couple, as long as one could ignore the fact that Streamshot was four feet taller than the mech. Then again, Jazz could probably make a relationship with a _cityformer _look cute.

"Yes, and I can't wait! Do you think he'll ask me to bond with him? Not tonight, but eventually?"

"I honestly couldn't say. I guess we'll just have to see," I replied with a happy grin. Streamshot opened her mouth to reply, but the sound of the doors opening interrupted her. Sideswipe swiftly moved to my side and scooped me into his arms.

"Hey! We were talking here!" Streamshot snapped, angry that her femme-time had been interrupted.

"An outside section of Upper Iacon was just attacked. Prime has taken a large portion of the mechs on base to defend the city. He left Megatron with Soundwave. We need to get you to the Command Room," Sideswipe stated in a no-nonsense voice. I nodded as I went limp in his arms. Sideswipe rolled out the door on wheeled pedes, followed closely by Streamshot.

"This way, Sides," Sunstreaker ordered. With that order given, he shot down the hallway, Sideswipe rushing after him. Streamshot, thank Primus, was light enough on her pedes to keep up, but I knew she would tire out quickly. I suppose we could say that events kind of worked out in her favor in that sense, because we were stopped after the first turn in the hall by a mech I mildly recognized. Optimus and I had passed him in the hall once before. He had scowled at me, then walked past.

"Get to your station, mech. We are on high alert," Sunstreaker snarled. The order was accented by the sound of twin Cybertonium blades sliding into place on Sunstreaker's wrists.

"Funny thing about orders: I hate following them, especially when it's from some nobody from the opposing faction," the black and red mech stated. I stared at him in confusion. I recognized his voice. A blurry image flashed behind my optics. Black armor, red optics, a sensuous voice.

"Who are you?" I demanded. The mech grinned at me.

"Name's Flamefall, but I believe you know me as Deathfire," the black mech stated.

"You're the traitor," I whispered as the name sparked another memory. A dance, quick strikes, pain. The mech's grin turned into a smirk.

"Ah, now that's where everybot was wrong. You see, Optimus Prime has been looking for a single traitor when he should have been looking for five. Now, half the base is gone, and you still have four mechs that are moving things into position. Ah, ah, ah!" Deathfire said suddenly, turning his gaze to Sunstreaker. "We don't call for back-up. Besides, do you honestly think I would allow it? I have a jammer installed in my processor for situations like this. It's just you four and me. Well… you four and us two."

"Sideswipe, behind us," I murmured as I looked back, a feat that was made easy by the way Sideswipe was holding me: bridal style. Sideswipe whirled around and glared at the new mech. I was shocked to see that the other mech was the one that had approached me and Prime in the hallway. The one who had trained under Jazz and had almost lost part of his face due to his desire to hold Megatron. "Quickdeath."

"Yep," the mech chirped with a happy smile. "These missions are so easy for me. I am just hating having to focus on my syntax."

"Primus, he sounds like that idiot, Blitzwing," Sideswipe muttered.

"Well, enough chatting. Deathstrike, it's time we take our prize. Let's fight." With that said, Deathfire darted forward, aiming for Sunstreaker. Deathstrike, formerly known as Quickdeath, started shooting at me and Sideswipe. The silver mech immediately dodged to the side, and I was shocked to see Sunstreaker copy the move, even though his back was to us. Deathfire narrowly missed getting shot by his own comrade and shot the other mech a dark glare.

"Swords, you idiot!" Deathfire snapped. Deathstrike obeyed his team leader, pulling out thin blades. He lunged towards us, and Sideswipe prepared to dodge, but before he could, a teal femme jumped into the fray and parried with her own blades.

"Sideswipe, get her out of here!" Streamshot ordered. The silver mech nodded in acknowledgement, and the nano-klik there was an opening, the frontliner sprinted past Deathstrike, moving back the way we came. The halls were frighteningly empty as we rushed down them, but the second Sideswipe was out of range of the jammer, he sent out a distress signal. Red lights lit up the hallway as the intercom announced the presence of an intruder.

"Sides, what do we do?" I asked, my voice a pitch higher due to stress and fear.

"We run until we find a bot we know is on our side. We still have three more traitors, according to what that slagger said," Sideswipe replied as he turned another corner. He immediately leapt to the left to avoid the plasma shots aimed at his helm. The two mechs swarmed him at once, and he worked at dodging the shots they fired at him. He moved me so that I was sitting upwards with my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms wrapped around his neck. His left arm was curled around my waist for security while his right arm was formed into a blaster. He dodged shots and shot back with equal vigor. Because of how I was situated, I couldn't see the mechs he was aiming at, but I _did_ see the new mech as he came up behind my protector. My right arm formed a plasma rifle, and I took aim.

"I'm a friend!" the red-opticed mech stated as he ran up to fight beside Sideswipe. Sideswipe only gave a small nod, sending the new mech a look of distrust. Unfortunately, we couldn't tell if he was lying or not. There were many ex-Decepticons in this new army, so we couldn't really shoot him without worrying that he was telling the truth.

The skirmish raged on, though, and a stray shot took out our new comrade only a few kliks after he arrived, which I suppose cemented his claim from earlier about being a friend. Sideswipe had managed to take out one of the enemies, but the other took refuge in an open room while we hid around the corner, unable to retreat or attack because we knew Deathfire and Deathstrike were both down the hall fighting our closest comrades. Sideswipe had placed me on the ground, leaning my back up against the wall while he peeked around the corner, returning fire every now and again.

"Slaggit, where's our back-up?" he snarled.

"I don't—" My words were cut off by a shriek of pain. I gripped my arm, which suddenly felt like it had been ripped from its joint. "Frag, frag, frag, frag!" I yelled as I held my uninjured, yet pain-filled arm. Sideswipe immediately looked over at me, checking for wounds that were not there.

"Prime was hurt. Frag," Sideswipe muttered. "We gotta get you to safety."

"Can't we just—" What I was about to say was cut off by a mech suddenly dropping from the ceiling beside us. I gave a shriek of surprise, and both Sideswipe and I turned our guns to the new foe, however, this new mech was faster. A single shot to the helm knocked Sideswipe out, and I got of one shot to the opposing mech's shoulder before I joined Sideswipe in darkness.

My final thought was of how worried and angry Optimus was going to be. Frag.

* * *

><p><strong>Target Ninja:<strong> Lol. Well, can't blame them, right? XD Though Moonstrike wasn't expecting to get sparked so soon.

**Luna Uchiha666:** Yeah, I think everyone was kind of expecting it. I didn't do a very good job at hiding her pregnancy, did I? Oh well. XD She's sparked, whether she likes it or not. Lol. I can watch weddings without blushing, but I tend to blush when the groom and bride leave the reception at the end. I had actually already planned for Prime to faint, in all honesty. I had planned that from the time he had glitched in Ratchet's medbay when he first learned of Moonstrike's real identity. :D

**Chistarpax:** Yeah… it's a happy moment that was sadly destroyed by Shockwave. The slagger doesn't even need to be there to cause Moonstrike stress. Poor femme.

**Guest:** Actually, no. It's set in movie 'verse, but we won't ever meet the humans. In this fic, the war has ended (it was finished on Earth), and the Cybertronians have returned to their planet to restore it. Even if they returned to Earth, Sam's great great grandchildren would probably have just died, simply because of the time-frame it's set in. It would take four or five vorns (83 years = 1 vorn) for the Cybertronians to get to the point they are currently at. So no humans. :) And Bumblebee simply isn't a required character in this fic. He should show up pretty frequently in my next fic, but not in this one. As for their discovering the gender of the sparkling, it won't be for a while, since the spark still has to mature a bit before Moonstrike's body starts building the frame. :)

**Mrs. Knockout:** XD Lol. Megatron will, indeed, have a younger sibling. He'll get to be a big brother again. =D We'll see how that works out. XD

**Transformers girl 1234:** Glad you liked it. I love writing fluff, and my readers love reading it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)

**CatGirlFireflare:** Lol. I'm glad you like. XD

**Luna Prime- Awesomeness:** XD Love the gibberish at the beginning. Glad you like. :D

**Kellie Witwicky:** Well, right now, "femme sparkling" is beating out "Mech sparkling" by a lot in the poll, so she probably _will_ be a femme.

Don't stress it. :) I rarely review more than once on a fic, so you're doing better than I am. :) And yeah, eh heh, my fingers tend to type words that my brain doesn't tell them too. Comes with touch-typing and overthinking -_-''

**Erin Primette:** XD I'm glad you picked up on the fluff ;)

**Autobot-Bre:** "Femme" is winning, right now (by a lot), so it'll probably be a femme. I already have designations picked out, though. :) Thanks for the suggestion, though.

**Angel897:** Glad you liked it. :D

**Katie Gibbs:b** Yup! Hopefully, he'll be a nicer older sibling this time around. ;)

**Guest that is AlexisOptimus: **D: I feel your pain. My "T" key likes to throw temper tantrums like that sometimes. Lol. I love adding little things like the programming transfer. As for my leaving the site, it will be at least another year until I leave. I was trying to answer a question but I couldn't find the review, and it was a question that needed answering. So I'll still be on for a while. :)

**A Wiccan:** :D I love chibi-Megatron. I'm gonna hate giving him up when this fic ends. I've actually fallen in love with all my characters in this fic. :( I guess it comes with the territory D:

Really? *o* When I asked Kara to explain her beliefs, so rolled her eyes. I love it when people are actually open and willing to talk. So, then, what's the foundation of your beliefs (Like mine is Jesus dying and rising again for our sins)? Is there any sort of story or event that sets up your beliefs? Ooh! And what about the beginning of time? How do you think humans were created? (This is so exciting! Thanks for being willing to answer questions! =D)

**Diamond White**: Nope. Only one sparkling. Remember, twin sparks are very rare. Giving her twin sparks would set off a Mary-sue alarm.

**Guest who is Diamond White:** Lol. Just a small misconception. The two beeps were emitted from the device to inform Ratchet that the scan was complete and the data was ready to be transferred and examined. :)

**King Sabre Tooth:** XD Yeah, I didn't hide it very well, did I? ^^''

**Trapezoidal:** Lol. Yeah, Ratchet wasn't too cheerful, but his mind was running along the same lines as Moonstrike's: there's a traitor that would be more than happy to use this information to Shockwave's advantage. And yup! Megsy's a big brother again. I think he'll do better job of it this time around, though. :)

**CocoLab: **Yep! Daddy Prime's coming back! :]

**Thereallizzie24:** :D Well, femme is winning by a lot, so she'll probably have a girl. :)

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** XD Yep! Transformers 4: Return of Daddy Prime! *dun dun dun!* (Featuring Sparkling-Sitter Ironhide and Mildly Irate CMO Ratchet!)

**Guest that is Starscream's Prime:** 0.0 I would _not_ want a sparkling in real life. Taking care of a baby that's almost as tall as you? Neh. On the other hand… if I were a femme, and the daddy was Optimus (after we bond, of course), I would have no arguments, whatsoever. :D

**Mrsharrypotter:** :D Yup. Incoming sparkling! The moodswings gave it away for everyone, but I simply had to have them there. I thought they were hilarious. :)

**Fanmanbookman: **XD I loved the mood swings. My best friend was the same way during her pregnancy, and it was so freakin' funny. She'd start crying, then whine about how she couldn't stop, then she'd cry even more because she couldn't stop. XD Couldn't resist putting it in there.

**Starscream's Prime:** XD

**Iceshadow911247:** Lol. Yeah, an extra update, though I didn't update again for two weeks :\ Believe me, I have five such gal pals that freak over everything. *eye roll* Ya know, even I don't like Rip-Rage? He's one of, like, three characters in this fic that I just do not like.

My mom loves mornings. In fact, during the school year, when we woke up at six to leave for school, she _sang_ as she got ready. Personally, I'm a dragon in the morning, and not one of the cute, friendly ones. My only noises are grunts and growls, and if I _do_ speak, it's a scathing and sarcastic sentence. I'm a dragon in the morning, and I'm proud of it. *nod nod*

I know what you mean! I think sparkling!Megatron is going to be the character I miss writing the most when I end this fic. :( Who would've thought that an evil warlord would make such a cute sparkling?

Well, I promised ya'll a fluffy chapter in response to the death in the previous one. It was to help all ya'll recover from the horror and drama… just in time for her to finally get caught. :) I'm such a nice author. ^-^

And it wasn't _too_ much of a cliffie. Just a small one ;)

**Dreamin'BIG:** XD I didn't even mean for it to be a cliffie. It just seemed like a good stopping point XD Glad you liked the fluff! =D

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** XD Interesting way to put it, but, yup, Optimus Prime is about to become Opiluk Prime. I dunno how much sibling rivalry I'm gonna add. We'll see about that. Glad you liked the fluff, too! I love writing it, and I know ya'll like reading it. :) I like this idea of this Optimus. The kind that _is_ a prime when he's in public, but is a metaphorical cybercat (*nudge nudge* see what I did there? *nudge nudge*) when he's with his family unit. Makes him seem more… real, for a lack of better words.

Well, I wish you luck with your car and your schooling. :) I know you'll do fine, so don't stress it.

Ya know, I couldn't really tell you. When I first wrote them, they felt familiar, but I don't know if that's because I've read them somewhere or because I used them in some old writing that I don't completely remember. I couldn't tell ya, but you're more than welcome to use them. :)

**Rylia:** :D Glad you like it! I love putting in the humor. XD (Love your username, by the way.)

**Guest that it Vivi (So I surmise that you are Vivian Hale :]): ***shudder* I try very, _very_ hard not to go back and reread my old stories. They're dreadful. Mary-Sues, self-inserts, cliché plots. It's painful. The one thing I remember the most is writing my stories in fifth grade and reading them to the first, second, and third graders in my after-school care group. Ah, memories.

**Thebookfan09:** Lol. I needed to reveal that she was sparked before she was captured, so I put it in here. :) Not very well planned, but it worked out in the end. For now, I think I'm gonna keep the rating where it's at. XD Lol. I chose a Solstice because it fits my personality and it's the size I wanted. I was looking at the 2009 Saturn Sky, as well, but the fact that the Solstice is Jazz's alt. mode pulled more towards his side. I found one at Carmax for $20,000, and it only has 6K miles on it. And it's white. :D Sadly, though, I cannot yet afford it -_- I will get there, though! I have a goal! :D I love this Optimus, as well. I like being able to get into his head. Even in TF: Prime, Optimus doesn't have much of a personality. Not like the other four do. :\ Poor mech's so neglected.

**XLizardXQueenX:** :) No stress. Even sporadic reviews help me know I have the support. :) Yeah… I'm still weaving my ideas for after the capture, and during the captivity. We'll see how it works out. Hope you liked the chapter :D

**WaterEra:** Lol. I _did_ see what you did there! *nudge nudge* XD Yes, Moonstrike's pregnancy is good and bad at the same time. What will happen to the newspark? What will happen to Moonstrike 0.o

Thanks so much! ^-^ Glad to keep you entertained, and I thank you for the support (I'm gonna get a swelled head from all these compliments, I swear!)

**Leonixon:** XD Lol. New York will be the _first_ place I visit. :D I'll probably end up staying a few days to take in the culture, too ;) XD

*Accepts hug* Primus, time just passes so slaggin' fast! *sob* RATCHET, I NEED A TISSUE, PRONTO! :')

*snicker* you mean, "_Moonstrike_ and Optimus fluff"? *snicker* As much as I wish it, Lunar Mist is not in this fic ;) I wish there was Jennifer/Optimus fluff, though. *swoon*

XD Yeah, Ratchet's not very… emotional when it comes to discovering that his leader is reproducing. Ratchet, why you no care 'bout Prime's spawn?

**Jeannette Hetfield:** Yep! Prime's reproducing now *nod nod*. I'm not certain if this is good or bad for the Autobot faction, but they don't have a choice! ^-^ And yeah, I was thinking about Flareup and Ratchet when I wrote out the idea of the programming changes, but Chromia and Ironhide are good examples, too. XD

Well… now you know why he was so quiet. :( Not a good thing, but…

Yeah, that's what my thoughts were. Could you imagine waking up one morning and realizing you tried to kill your opiluk once before? Or that you succeeded in killing him once? So, I took pity on him. :)

Yes, yes, yes! It comes back on the Hub on August 25! I can't wait, because I know the episode description! *bounces in excitement* I'm excited about TCC, too. Classes start pretty soon. It'll be interesting, to say the least. A big change, but one I'm actually looking forward to! :D

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** It's actually a bit of an AU. Yeah, it'd be considered post-DOTM, but (and I dunno why) I've never completely thought of it as such. However, my mind is a lot different than other people (Not that everyone is dumber than me, just that I think in a strange, abstract way that is a paradoxical combination of logic and creative imagination), so for the sake of the story, and to keep from having to explain my abstract thinking, we'll say that it's post-DOTM. :)


	44. Living Nightmare

1) **This is important!** Jennifer has gotten a job! I'm a cashier at Walmart, and guess what! I'm scheduled everyday except for next Monday and Tuesday. What does that mean? It's means your updates are about to get less frequent. It's life, and I really need to start living it. Now that I've graduated, I need money, and sadly, I don't get paid writing on fanfic. :( Thus, the job.

2) This is short because I had no time. I'm friggin lucky I got this in. Next chapter should be longer.

3) **Mrs. Knockout**: I am working on your ficlet. I hit a logic snag, and am attempting to fix it before continuing.

4) I made a slight miscalculation... This fic will probably be about 50 chapters long, rather than the 60 chapters I've been advertising. As such, the excerpt from my upcoming fic will be posted **next chapter**.

5) Lastly, I am attempting to complete the one-shots I have to get out as quickly as possible. Sorry if you have been excited, but I had to drop some of them simply because I have no time anymore.

* * *

><p>Chapter 44<p>

Living Nightmare

2,386 words

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><p>"<em>Moonstrike? Darling, where are you?"<em>

_The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. It was a deep voice that washed over my senses like a rush of energon. It was the voice I would recognize anywhere. It was the voice of the mech I loved with all my spark. Optimus. _

_Immediately, all my focus was turned to that voice. My audio amplifiers shifted until they were pointed in the direction the voice seemed to be coming from. My optics, however, refused to come online, and my body refused to move. I whirred in distress as I attempted to will my body into motion. I was unsuccessful, though, stuck in a laying position on the ground._

"_Moonstrike, I can't see you," Optimus called out. "Where did you go?"_

"_I'm over here!" I tried to call out, but all that left my mouth were a few twitters and clicks. What was going on? Why couldn't I speak? I let out a frightened squeak, my processor unable to comprehend why I was stuck like this._

"_Moonstrike?" Optimus questioned. I twittered loudly, trying to get his attention. Joy flooded my systems when I heard heavy footsteps moving in my direction. Optimus! I gave a loud trill, calling out wordlessly to my sparkmate. A door opened, flooding the room around me with light, and I realized that I had had my optics online at the time. The room had simply been so dark that I hadn't been able to tell._

"_There you are, my spark," Optimus purred as he moved to my side. "You had us all so worried." I twittered impatiently, wanting him to help me up._

"_Prime, I need to see Ratchet! I can't move!" I tried to explain, but the only noises were chirps and whistles. Optimus smiled softly at me._

"_Calm down, calm down. I'm here. Now, let's get you to your danni," Optimus crooned as he… lifted me up? A surge of panic hit me as he cradled my _much smaller body_ against his chassis. My spark went into overdrive. What was going on?! I was _not_ supposed to be this small! My venting hitched in my panic, and I could feel my tail twitching._

"_Now, now, sparklet. What's the matter?" Optimus crooned as he paused in his steps to give me his complete attention._

"_What's the matter? _What's the matter?!_ I'll tell you what's the matter! I'm small, I can't talk, I can barely move, and you think you're my opiluk! There's a lot wrong with this picture!" I cried, but once again, all that came out were sparkling noises._

"_Oh, sparklet, everything is fine," Optimus cooed as he ran his free hand down my back strut. I stiffened when I felt his hand move all the way down my tail—a feeling I was in no way accustomed to—but I allowed myself to be comforted. That is, until I looked straight into the window I was cradled against. A cute, sky blue bundle of wires stared back at me. The femling's blue optics were adorably large for her faceplates, and her cat-like audio amplifiers, which were equally oversized, took up the top half of her head. Her fingers tapered off to dull claws, and small fangs peeked from behind her lip components. My optics widened, and the sparkling's optics widened in sync. _

"_Oh, Primus. Ohhh, Primus. Oh, no. No, no, no!" I shrieked, slowly growing hysterical. This wasn't happening! There was no way I was a sparkling again! Not possible. No, no, no! As my panic grew, my cries grew as well. Optimus clicked and warbled at me, trying to get me to calm down, but I was beyond comfort. I was transformed into a sparkling! Did Shockwave do this? It happened when that spy took me offline, I knew it! I wailed loudly at that thought. I was a sparkling now, and Optimus was treating me as such. Optimus crooned wordlessly at me, rubbing my back again. My tail wrapped loosely around his wrist, and Optimus hummed at me as he went back to rubbing my tip of my tail. A familiar, yet unfamiliar feeling of love and contentedness filled my spark, and strangely enough, I started calming down._

_Of course, that was before I heard a painfully familiar voice._

"_Thank Primus you found her, Optimus. I was so worried," Elita-One said on a vent as she approached us from the front. Just like that, the calm that had fallen over me disappeared. I screamed once before burying my helm in Prime's chest, wanting nothing more than to disappear. Distressed clicks and whimpers left my throat, and Prime's hand started its rubbing again. I _felt_ Elita's sorrow and worry in my spark rather than seeing it on her face, and I _felt_ Optimus's concern and comfort through the strange bond we seemed to have._

"_Come now, Moon. Don't you want to see your danniluk?" Optimus crooned._

"_That's not my danni!" I wanted to say. "That's your dead sparkmate!" But, of course, my words were unintelligible._

"_Aww, poor sweetspark is terrified. She must have been in that nursery for a while after the blackout," Elita said, clicking in sympathy as she rubbed my back._

"_I believe so, Elita. Perhaps we should take her to Shockwave. He has extensive knowledge of sparkling behavior," Optimus suggested with a frown. I looked up at him in horror._

"_No! He's trying to turn me into a sparkling, Prime! What the slag is going on?!" I wailed, hating the clicks and chirps that left my vocal processor. Elita hummed in concern._

"_Perhaps that would be a wise idea," she agreed as she turned. No! They couldn't take me to Shockwave! He would kill me! My wails grew in volume as I threw a tantrum of epic proportions. My pedes kicked at Prime's chest, and my tail tightened on his wrist. My hands fisted up, and my optics offlined as energon tears flowed freely from them._

"_Optimus Prime," I heard Shockwave greet. My optic onlined, and I saw that we were in Ratchet's medbay. Shockwave stood in the middle of the bay and was slowly approaching us, his optics locked on me. "May I inquire as to what the problem is?"_

"_We found her in the nursery during the blackout. Now, she simply will not calm down," Optimus explained with a concerned expression._

"_No, no, no!" I shrieked. "Get me away from here!"_

"_I see what concerns you. Hand her here, and I will fix everything. She'll never throw another tantrum ever again," Shockwave guaranteed. I froze and slowly looked up at Prime. To my horror, he actually looked…_ relieved_. _

"_Thank you, Shockwave," he said on a vent as he held me out. Shockwave's optic flashed maliciously._

"_Of course, Optimus Prime. Leave her with me, and come back in a vorn," Shockwave ordered. Optimus nodded._

"_I will be back in a vorn, Moonstrike. Come, Elita, we must speak to Jazz's opiluk about the betrothal," Optimus told his dead, yet alive mate. Shockwave cradled me in his arms and watched as Optimus and Elita left, both ignoring my distressed clicks and whistles._

"_Now, Moonstrike, I believe it is time to look at your programming," Shockwave purred darkly._

* * *

><p>"No!" I shrieked in terror. My optics flashed online, and my body tensed up as I attempted to sit up. To my horror, though, I was strapped to a berth in what appeared to be a lab. My audio amplifiers moved around in a jerky fashion as I attempted to hear a noise—any noise—that would give me a hint as to where I was.<p>

There was silence around me, though, and it was strangely stifling. From what I could tell, there were no other bots in the room, and I wasn't really sure what was worse: the deadly silence or the knowledge that I was completely alone in a lab that I did not recognize. I couldn't remember arriving here or the events leading up to this arrival. I could remember waking up beside Optimus… then… what? What was I missing?

Rip-Rage! The suicide! I grimaced at that, feeling that I had somehow shamed his memory by forgetting. I quickly brushed it off, though, as I tried to walk myself through the memories of the last cycle I was conscious through. Megatron learned to walk… I was chased with Sideswipe by a traitor… Soundwave got a message… A mech dropped from the ceiling… Streamshot had a date with Jazz… who was apparently an amazing kisser… I didn't doubt that. I scowled at that stray thought, happy that Prime wasn't here. Prime! The sparkling! I was with sparkling! A giddy giggle rushed from my vocal processor before I could stop it, then I paused.

What if Shockwave had hurt the newspark? I felt horror and terror flood through my systems, and I quickly ran an internal systems check, focusing in on my sparkling chamber. Relief flooded my systems when I found that the little park was just fine. My systems told me it was comfortably nestled in the cocoon of warm wires that made up the sparkling chamber next to my spark, siphoning a small amount of energon from the primary energon line that led from my pump to my spark.

My observations were cut off when the door behind my helm opened. I gasped a bit as I attempted to look above me, but it wasn't needed as the invading mech quickly walked to my side. I stared at Shockwave with a small scowl as he approached my right side. His optic flashed in what I knew from experience was amusement.

"Salutations, my dear," he greeted.

"Don't give me that slag. What am I doing here?" I demanded, not hesitating for a moment. Shockwave turned away from me and started rummaging through a drawer. Never had such an action freaked me out so much. I barely kept myself from jumping when he spoke again.

"You have something in your processor that I require," Shockwave stated vaguely. "A programming string I placed in there for safe keeping many vorns ago. I needed it hidden, so I kept it dormant."

"The slave coding," I whispered in sudden realization. The slave coding Perceptor and Ratchet had deleted…

"Affirmative. I knew," Shockwave continued as he pulled out a long cable that was meant to connect two minds, "that you would be in my grasp after the war ended, so I knew it would be fairly simple to test my programming while keeping those infernal Autobots in the dark." He paused here to growl irately. "Then Optimus Prime had to step in and ruin _everything_. That fragger decided to make you his sparkmate and hide you away from all others. I pray that slagger died in that battle."

"Battle?" I whispered, only vaguely remembering a sharp pain in my arm, a pain that hadn't been mine. Shockwave's optic flashed again.

"Yes, but that does not pertain to this meeting," Shockwave began, moving the plug towards my helm.

"You'll let me go, right?" I asked suddenly, wanting to buy myself some time. Shockwave paused in his movement, studying me closely. He made a thoughtful noise before plugging the cable into a port at the base of my helm.

"We shall see," he stated. "And we will also be talking about your new appearance."

I was about to reply, but he plugged the other end of the cable into the base of his own helm, and the pain that shot through my helm suddenly became the focal point of my being. A strangled screech ripped from my throat as my processor lifted up firewall after firewall in a useless attempt to keep the aggressive presence from getting into the important parts of my mind. The whole experience was harrowing. I could sense him ripping through the firewalls, searching through scattered, distant memories, sifting through coding. It was nothing like Perceptor's gentle prodding or Ratchet's gruff tenderness.

Then it ended. Shockwave retreated from my mind with an angered yell. He pulled the plug from his helm, turned, and started punching the wall. I gave a cry of fear as I tried with all my might to get off the table, wanting nothing more than to flee the room before he could turn that wrath on my body, or worse, my mind. Shockwave froze when he heard my yell and slowly turned to face me. I couldn't hide my tears of fear or the small whimpers leaving my throat.

"Calm down, my spark," Shockwave crooned, moving to the side of my berth. "There is no reason to fear me, my pet. You have finally returned home, and you will be treated with the utmost care," he promised me. "It is the Autobots that should fear me for taking what belongs to me." I cringed when he ran a single hand down my helm, cupping my cheek plate with that hand. "All will be well."

"Let me go, Shockwave. Please," I whimpered quietly, fighting back a frightened sob. What if he followed through? I would lose everything. Optimus, Megatron, my whole pack and Prime's. The newspark. A quiet sob escaped my throat at that thought. The spark would be safe at first, but what about when the symptoms of being sparked started to show? Shockwave would figure it out.

"All is well, pet. All will be perfect," Shockwave crooned as he turned back to one of the cabinets and opened it up. When he turned back to me, he was brandishing a needle. My whimpers grew, as did my struggles as he turned to face me. "You will be perfect again," he murmured. As he moved toward me, a prerecorded femme's voice rose softly from his radio link.

"_Little sparkling filled with light, come and play with me tonight."_ I gave a wordless sob at the song, thinking of the Sanatorium and the sparkling I received from it. _"We'll run and play and dance and sing. We'll learn to fly and eat lovely things." _He stopped and my side and gazed down at me. _"Little sparkling, filled with love,I will watch you from above."_ He pressed the needle into a line at my neck, and I couldn't fight the sedative as I returned to the world of dreams.

"_And as you fall asleep with me,_

_I'll protect you from everything."_

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><p><strong>Guest:<strong> :) Glad you liked it! I love me some fluff, and I know a large portion of my readers do too. Plus, the next few chapters will only have very limited fluff. :\ I'm thinking of writing a short one-shot for Jazz and Streamshot… Decisions, decisions… And don't stress it. A review is a review. :) I'll take what I can get. :D

**AlexisOptimus:** Yup, and two of them in a row (including this one)! Yep, Opty got injured. You'll see what happened next chapter. :) Glad to have you hooked. You made me feel happy. :) Thank you for the compliments.

**Kellie Witwicky:** Well, here's your chapter. A bit late and really short, but it is here. :) And I hate it when the bots steal my computer.

Sides: Sunny, what the slag are you doing over there, and how did you get uncuffed?!

**Angel897:** Glad you enjoyed it! :) It took some time but I finally updated. I have no time anymore. -_-

**Just Watch Me:** We PMed.

**Iceshadow911247:** Oh, I'm sorry! D: Don't mean ta do that! ^^'' Bad timing. ! I fraggin' LOVE Build-a-bear. They have this cute little patch teddy, and I want it. DX Lol.

Yeah, Jazz has a dirty processor. Then again, after years of having no femmes, he has quite a bit of time to make up for.

XD Soundwave always called Megsy "Lord Megatron," so I thought, 'Why change that? It'll be funny!' So Sounders still calls Megatron "Lord Megatron." :D

Lol. Can you blame him? Poor Sides probably thought Ratchet or Prowl was trying to get back at him. And dun worry. Sunny is the center of my next story. I will have _so_ much fun exploring his personality. :D

XD I know what you mean. Heck, I wrote an Elita/Optimus Prime scene for… I believe it was a one-shot, and I felt like I was making Optimus cheat on Moonstrike :\ So I know how you feel with Jazz dating Streamshot.

You put on fight music during my fight scenes? XD Love it! That's actually a really good idea…

Asd… Did you facedesk at the end of the chapter? Or did you just bang your hands on the keyboard…?

**CocoLab:** Glad you like it :D

**Thebookfan09:** Yeah. I actually had a huge debate on Facebook over whether Optimus was a robot or a creator with emotion. Now _that_ was intense. Lol. The no contractions thing is actually a writing trick of mine. I've seen that you can make any character sound smart and official by making them talk without contractions. Besides… contractions are sloppy, and a sloppy prime equals a sloppy Cybertron.

I'm glad you like it. :D I had to put in a little bit of fluff, since there won't be much in the next couple of chapters. :\

I don't mind Chevys. The Solstice is just my dream car… Behind the Lotus Elise, 1968 Corvette, and Ferrari 458 Italia. Thing is, you couldn't take any of those cars anywhere. I'd be dead afraid of them getting stolen or injured in any way. Primus… Injured… yet I can't think of a different adjective, though. :\ I'm too obsessed with Transformers.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Lol. I bet it was, too. Primus, I wish I was a Cybertronian so that Jazz would kiss me. *sigh*

**Chistarpax:** Yeah. Shockwave is a creepy jerk who needs to die. Don't worry. He's got what's coming to him. Nobot kidnaps the prime's mate without some serious reprocussions… And yup. You seem to be up to date on all that's happened. But it was pancreatitis. Not appendicitis. ;)

**KnockOut'sFanGirl221:** Dang! You were determined! Glad you liked it enough to spend that much time on it. :D Prime is gonna have an interesting time next chapter when he wakes up. :\ I'm very glad you like it, especially the OCs. I work very hard on my originals, so I'm very glad that you like them. :) Thank you for the compliments.

**SilverNeira:** If it's any consolation, I hate Shockwave, too, and as such, I will see to it that he gets a death that will satisfy all of my readers. :) In some circumstances, I would consider giving Soundwave a mate, but in this fic, it would be too random. I would have to bring in a new femme and introduce her, somehow tie her into the main plot… Just too much work, especially since I'm so close to the end. Sorry. :\ Mini-Megs seems to bring that reaction from my readers. :) I love sparkling fluff. ^-^

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Lol. No, everybot has movie 'verse appearances. No ugly blocky looks. I hated those. You wanna know who's lucky? The girl who voices Miko and the boys that voice Raf and Jack. Both boys were super excited to work with Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, and the girl who played Miko was just like, "Yeah, it's kinda cool that I get to work with them." Chica doesn't deserve it, especially since she gives a Japanese character a Latino accent. I hate Miko. *angry face that fanfic hates*

I didn't think anybody reread this fic. Strange. Heh, I can't reread it to save my life. I love using foreshadowing, though. It's my favorite writing tool. You think you have mixed feelings about Sunny now? Just wait until I start writing him in my next fic. I already have his character sketch all finished. It will be _**glorious**_! I love writing character interactions, though, like Jazz and Prowl. They're such polar opposites, and besides, writing Jazz is a joy in itself. ^-^ XD I saw that!

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** XD I am but a simple writer that can only take joy from the small things in life, such as making my readers hang off a cliff at the end of a chapter. It is delightfully cruel, isn't it? ;)

**Wolfwitch94:** Lol. I live under a rock, too! I just recently came out thanks to a new job! Funny how that works out. Glad you like it, and welcome to the club ;) Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic!

**Naughtia:** Cool username! We will be taking a look at the Autobot base next chapter, so… wait in excitement :D And I actually put up a poll to let my readers vote on who Streamshot would end up with. Jazz won by three votes. I think it's kinda cute, though… especially since Streamshot's taller than him by five feet XD

**Leonixon:** XD Dun worry. I do the same thing. Imagine my surprise when I reread the last chapter before publishing and found that Shockwave had replaced Soundwave for two paragraphs and Moonstrike had been replaced with Megatron twice. Sleep is good and kinda necessary. I should get some -_-

How about this… I'll take Optimus, and you can have Jazz? Sound like a good bargain? Huh… Then again… I think I may want Jazz more… Seems more adventurous… ;)

Ratchet? Where the slag do you think you're going?! Slaggit, get back here, you slagger! Optimus! Ratchet's being a jerk! Optimus? Where are you going? Optimus! -_-''

**Random Reader:** Yup. Five. People were catching on to Quicky, so I decided to throw them for a loop. Lol. I love StreamJazz (or would it be Jazzshot? Hmmmm…)

*sigh* There will be quite a bit of mourning when he passes. I will cry. He's 71, so he better live until he's 100. That'll keep me until I'm fifty. *nod nod*

**Autobot-Bre:** Yup. Now for the angst! :D Joy joy joy!

**CatGirlFireflare:** XD I don't think Cybertron has spoons… Optimus has an energon blade, though… *evil grin*

**Fanmanbookman:** It was pretty action packed. Not as much as previous chapters, but still… ^^'' Yeah, Opty needs to learn to keep his arms to himself. Silly mech.

**Susan:** I'm actually planning on finishing that fic either tonight or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow. No promises, though. I'm short on time :\

**Transformers girl 1234:** Very glad! :)

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><p>So... Super creepy? XD Next chapter, we will visit Optimus and the Autobots, and we'll see what Shockwave did to Moonstrike 0.o<p>

Ciao!


	45. Emotional Rollarcoaster

1) So I had a dream that I married a guy who owns a Sam's Club, and he told me that I could eat as many cakes as I wanted, so I did, and I got fat, so he divorced me. In retrobution, I lost all the weight and hired Jason Bourne to kill him... This is what working at Walmart will do to you! XD Honestly, though. I love my job :D

2) Guess what! I'm making a pillow that is Blaster in his alt mode! It will be glorious... in ten months when I finish it. I'm hand stitching all of it. So... It's time-consuming, but it will be glorious.

3) Why is this update so big? **There are two excerpts at the end. **They are pretty self-explanatory.

4) I'm sorry for the emotional overload/rollercoaster that is this chapter.

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><p>Chapter 45<p>

Emotional Rollarcoaster

3,883 words

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><p>Optimus's first thought was how angry Moonstrike was going to be when she saw him on the medical berth in Ratchet medbay. Given, Optimus wasn't often in Ratchet's medbay, and when he was, he was normally in there because Moonstrike got hurt, not because he himself got injured. He could vaguely remember the pain of having his arm removed, along with the pain of a hit to the helm a few moments later. He was certain the mechs under his command had panicked when they saw him collapse, but he knew that Ironhide had likely taken up the slack, as he was prone to do. Ironhide liked taking up the slack on a battlefield.<p>

That led him to his current predicament. His processor was working fantastically, and he could hear everything around him. Ratchet was to his right, mumbling about Sideswipe's idiocy. Jazz was to his left, crooning wordlessly to someone who didn't appear to be responding. He could hear the other unofficial medibots shuffling around the bay. No, he had no trouble hearing. Now, if he could get his optics to cooperate…

"Ratchet, Prime's trying to online," Wheeljack announced. Ratchet let loose an impressive string of curses as he stomped over to Prime's side. Optimus, for his part, didn't move. This wasn't surprising, seeing as Ratchet pumped him full of sedatives and painkillers the second he had arrived.

"Prime, you need to go back into recharge or I will make you," Ratchet ordered. Optimus resisted the urge to grumble. He could remember a time when _he_ was leader of the Autobots. He would have to look back in the records next chance he could to figure out just when Ratchet had gained so much slaggin' power.

"Moon…" Optimus mumbled on a vent. He grimaced bit and focused on his optics again until, to his surprise, they flicked on. Light flooded his optic relays, along with the image of Ratchet's helm just above him.

"Primus fraggit, Prime!" Ratchet snapped. "Recharge!"

"Where's Moonstrike?" Optimus questioned weakly. "She would be here…"

"There was…" Ratchet trailed off and looked away, and Optimus had a sinking feeling in his spark. Ratchet never had to search for words. He was normally extremely blunt.

"Ratchet, what happened?" Optimus asked, voice filled with trepidation. Ratchet turned his gaze back to the prime.

"Optimus… there wasn't just one traitor; there were five. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Streamshot were attacked. Both Sideswipe and Streamshot were gravely injured, and Sunstreaker fell offline when his brother did. Prime… they got her. Moonstrike was captured before reinforcements could reach them," Ratchet said with a look of pain in his optics.

Optimus stared at the medic, trying to comprehend the words being told to him. No. Moonstrike wasn't caught. She couldn't be. She was safe in their quarters. She had to be. He hadn't failed again. She wasn't hurt. No, she was here, where he could protect her.

"Prime, talk to me," Ratchet ordered, his expression worried.

"You lie," Optimus said simply, denial shown in his voice and his expression.

"I'm sorry, Optimus. Prowl, Kup, Magnus, and Soundwave are working on a plan to get her back as we speak. You may join them in approximately two joors," Ratchet promised. Optimus shook his helm.

"I want to see her. Please, Ratchet. Tell me you're lying," Optimus begged as Ratchet sent more sedatives into his system. The CMO gave him a pitying look.

"I'm sorry, Optimus. We _will_ get her back. Recharge," Ratchet responded. Optimus's optics dimmed, as he fought the sedatives, then suddenly, the flared back on as he gave an electronic shriek of pain. His back arched up off the berth as his one hand reached up to hold his helm. "Perceptor! Wheeljack! Jazz! Help me!" Ratchet bellowed as he attempted to force his leader back onto the berth before he hurt himself.

"Wha's happ'nin'?" Jazz demanded as he yanked Prime's hand from his helm, forcing it to lay flat on the table.

"Scans are showing up negative! This isn't Prime's pain!" Ratchet replied, having to shout over Optimus's cries of agony.

"Moonstrike," Perceptor vented as he held down Prime's pedes and legs. Wheeljack helped Ratchet hold down the Prime's chest, and Ratchet wirelessly activated the straps on the berth.

"Move!" the CMO ordered, and the four Autobots swiftly let go of their leader, just in time for the straps to wrap across his chest, waist, thighs, and calves. Optimus writhed on the table, trying with all his strength to fight the straps.

"MOONSTRIKE!" he roared in a pain-filled voice. His vocal processor sparked before shorting out, but his static-filled cries and screams continued and Ratchet frantically checked him over. He was about to give him another shot of painkillers when Prime just went quiet. His body went lax, and his optics stared blankly at the ceiling above him as his cooling systems worked overtime to cool his overheated frame.

"What… the slag… was that?" Jazz asked, his own venting systems working overtime. All four of the mechs were venting hard, each freaked out by the violent reaction from the prime.

"Moonstrike must have been hacked by Shockwave," Ratchet said grimly. Horrified optics turned to the medic.

"You mean…?" Jazz couldn't finish the sentence, but Ratchet's dour nod answered his question well enough. "Primus."

"Indeed. We need to find her. Now," Ratchet stated. "Wheeljack, watch the bay. We need to speak with—"

Ratchet was cut off by the sound of the door opening. They all turned to see Soundwave walking in with a wailing Megatron in his hands. The ex-Decepticon bypassed the four mechs and stopped by Optimus. Prime slowly looked over at the tape deck standing beside him, and blue optics brightened a bit when they landed on the sparkling.

"Megatron," Optimus breathed. He held his hand out for the bundle of wires, and Soundwave set him on the leader's chest. Megatron immediately burrowed in, searching for the safety that was his father's spark. Optimus obliged him, allowing his chest plating to open a bit so that the strong thrum was easier to hear. The sparkling slowly calmed down before dropping into an exhausted and restless recharge. "Thank you, Soundwave," Optimus murmured as he placed a hand over his sparkling, not wanting anybot to steal away what was left of his small family. Soundwave gave a single nod before moving away from the prime.

"Soundwave," Ratchet called as the larger mech passed him. Soundwave paused and turned to face the medic. "Moonstrike's processor has been hacked. I will continue observing Optimus to see what happens. If their bond is as strong as I hope it is, we should be able to track what happens to her through her mate's actions. Primus-willing, we will be able to use the bond to track her location."

"Affirmative. Information: will be given to tactician Prowl," Soundwave responded.

"Good," Ratchet said gruffly before returned to his patient, who was carefully watching Megatron. Soundwave gave the three remaining mechs a single nod before quitting the room. The four other mechs returned to Prime's side only to find that he had joined his creation in recharge.

"He's offline again," Wheeljack reported with a grim expression.

"Tha's a good thing, though," Jazz interjected. "He don' wanna be online fo' some'in' like this."

"Yes, and I fear what will become of him if we cannot locate his mate soon," Ratchet admitted as he looked down at his leader. Unlike the other three mechs who had all been on a different mission at the time, Ratchet had been with Prime when he lost his first mate. He was positive Optimus wouldn't survive the loss of Moonstrike.

"Moon…?" a raspy feminine voice murmured, sounding tired and out of sorts. Jazz immediately left the table and stood by Streamshot's. "…Jazz…?" she questioned as she gazed up at the silver mech.

"Yeah, Stream. I'm here," he cooed. Streamshot turned her helm to the left and right, taking in her surroundings, though Jazz was fairly certain she wasn't really seeing any of it.

"Where's Moonstrike? We're supposed to be going to the café today," Streamshot asked, sounding adorably put out. "She likes the oil cakes," she added, optics dimming a bit.

"Stream?" Jazz called gently, trying to keep her attention. Her optics brightened minutely, focusing on the silver mech again. She didn't notice Ratchet as he scanned her, keeping her optics only on Jazz.

"My brother killed himself, and someone stole my best friend," she stated on a whimper. Energon gathered in her optics. "Jazz, I want my family unit back."

"Aww, I know, swee'spark," Jazz murmured in sympathy, strongly resisting the urge to gather her into his arms. Ratchet was still working on his scan, and Jazz knew he needed to stay out of the way.

"What happened to me, Jazz?" Streamshot asked when she caught sight of Ratchet. "When did I get here? Did you just bring me here?"

"No, baby. You got stabbed," Jazz explained. Streamshot looked confused by this, so he continued. "When you were fighting the traitor. You got stabbed, Stream, and it almost pierced your spark chamber. It went through just below it. Primus, we got so lucky."

"I got stabbed?" she questioned, looking worried by that fact. "So I won't be able to go to the café? Moon'll be mad…" With that, she dropped back offline.

"The welds are holding, so she should be out in another solar cycle," Ratchet informed the saboteur. Jazz nodded his understanding.

"Good. We'll need all the help we can get," Wheeljack interjected. The other three mechs sighed in unison, knowing this to be truth.

"We can't do anything until we know where she's at, either," Ratchet grunted irritably, an anger that rose from his worry. He had had to repair Moonstrike quite a bit in the last orn, and he balked at the knowledge that he was likely going to have to repair her again, assuming these newest damages were repairable. It was as if Primus himself heard the medic's statement.

**::Prowl to Medbay. Jazz is needed in Command Central. We might have located Shockwave's base of operations:: -Command Central**

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><p>My optics were slow to online. My processor felt all fuzzy and blurry. My audio amplifiers flicked around, taking in the silence as my processor worked to clear the fuzz. My optics lit up, and I slowly sat up, surveying the room I was in curiously.<p>

The room was painted a pretty light blue color, and glowing stars decorated the black ceiling. I stared at the ceiling for a few moments, watching as the faux stars twinkled above me. I gave an excited squeal when a "falling star" streaked across the ceiling. As interesting as the ceiling was, the room around me held the same appeal. The wall across from me was decorated with a single door and a tall shelf that held five rows of datapads and story holoblocks. The wall to my right held a white desk speckled with blue, black, and purple paint. The desk had four drawers, and on the top was a picture and paints. I must have been painting before I went to recharge last lunar cycle. To my left was a large toy box, which I was rather excited to explore. I knew I had a lot of toys, but I couldn't quite remember which ones I had. That would be my first order of business.

I chirped excitedly as I jumped from my padded big bot berth, which I had recently gotten when I upgraded to my youngling frame, and trotted over to my toy box. The lights in my room brightened with each of my steps. Walking was still kind of new to me, but my body seemed to have caught on rather well with my recent upgrade. I wasn't even leaning! Opiluk would be so proud of me! I lifted the box's lid open and peered inside. Princess crown and scepter: check. Dull sword and empty plasma pistol: check. Puzzles and plushies: check. Energon café set: check. Sparkling dollie: check. I twittered quietly as I went through my many toys. I knew that if any other bot ever saw how many I had, they would call me spoiled. That wasn't true. Opi said that he just liked to give me more stuff because he didn't have any more sparklings and that I was his little princess and deserved these toys. Opi always seemed to know everything so I knew he _had _to be right about this, so I didn't argue with him.

"Moonstrike, time for energon," Opiluk announced as he entered my room.

"Opi!" I squealed as I rushed into his arms. His single optic flashed in a mouthless smile. He closed me in a hug before handing me an energon cube. I looked at him with wide optics. "I get to drink it like a big bot?" I asked, excited by this turn of events. I _loved_ it when Opi treated me like a big bot. So few actually did. Whenever they saw my youngling frame, they automatically assumed that I needed to refuel from a sippy cube or a bottle. It was even worse when they tried to pick me up! I wasn't a sparkling anymore!

"Affirmative," Opi replied. I waited a second for that word to go through my processor so that I could figure out the meaning. Opi was always using big words, but he had installed a program in my processor during my upgrade that told me what these words meant. I grinned when I found that this word basically meant "yes" and trotted back to my berth to refuel. I sat down and took my first sip. The grade was a bit higher than what I was used to, but that was okay. I giggled a bit at the feeling of the mid-grade re-energizing my frame. What a funny feeling! I clicked in contentment as I refueled. Opi gently took the cube from me when I was done and rubbed one of my audio amplifiers as my body finished processing the energon. I leaned into the touch and chirped irritably when he removed his hand.

"Moonstrike, what did I say about sparkling speech?" Opiluk asked in a stern voice. My amplifiers drooped against my helm in slight shame.

"Don't use it. I gotta get used ta talking like a big bot," I replied. Opi optic-smiled again and patted my helm before moving to the door. I hopped to my pedes and trailed after him eagerly. "So what are we doin' this cycle, Opi?" I asked cheerfully. Opi stopped in his tracks and looked back at me, almost as if he hadn't expected me to follow him. Silly mech! I always stayed with him. Opi and Danni liked to keep me close at all times 'cuz they were scared some bad bot was gonna come and steal me away.

"You will remain in your room for the time being. I must search for an adequate youngling caretaker to watch you while I tend to my work. Remain in your room until I return," Opi ordered. I slumped a bit, sad that he was banishing me to my room rather than toting me around like he used to. Was it because my youngling frame was so big? I was as tall as he was… Hmm… I shrugged as I returned to my room. It didn't matter. Opi was a really smart mech, I knew that he'd find a nice caretaker for me.

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><p>As it turns out, waiting is kinda boring when you're all alone. I sighed as I completed the final puzzle in my toy box. My room, once spotless, was a disaster area now. Completed puzzles were lined up side to side, my energon café set was completely set up. I had already had a special Free Energon for Everybot Day party with my seekeress plushie, my random mech plushie, and my cybercat plushie—named Streamshot, Kup, and Ravage, respectively. I was unsure how I came up with these names, but they seemed to fit each doll perfectly. My medibot plushie and warrior-class plushie—named Ratchet and Optimus—both helped served the energon to the three guests. Sadly, the Free Energon for Everybot Day party hadn't lasted very long, and it had been only a breem before everybot had to go home to their family units. It was rather disappointing. Once I had placed the five plushies on my berth, I moved on to painting. I painted a pretty picture of Opi and me playing with puzzles, then I painted one of Opi reading to me, then one of the Free Energon for Everybot Day party, then one of my warrior plushie… Then I had decided that painting was boring, so I moved on to puzzles.<p>

I gave a small sigh as I lay back on the flat floor, trying to figure out what to do. I reached over to my right and pulled my warrior plushie, Optimus, into my arms. Optimus had recently become my favorite plushie, though I couldn't really figure out why. His armor was completely blue, just like mine was, and there was a large plasma cannon attached to his right arm and a Cybertonium blade attached to his left. His optics were red, something that seemed wrong for some reason, and his helm held two horns, which also seemed wrong. I didn't think on it for too long, though. Instead, I addressed the plushie directly.

"Opty, what should we do? I'm bored," I confessed to the doll. Optimus didn't reply. "Maybe we could paint some more." Optimus didn't seemed to like this idea, if his silence was anything to judge by. "You're right. I think we should probably start cleaning up. Then we can play family unit!" Optimus didn't reply, but I thought this was a fantastic idea. I hopped to my pedes and started tidying up the room. I put the puzzle pieces in their correct cube containers so that I didn't lose any pieces and placed the containers in my toy box. The energon café set quickly followed them. I finished up by tidying up my painting area and trotted back over to my toy box. I gingerly pulled out my sparkling doll and trotted back over to my berth. The doll was very life-like. It held all the features of an actual sparkling and was the exact size and weight that a sparkling would be. The toy clicked, twittered, and made other such sparkling noises whenever the small switch on its back was turned on. I looked over at my five dolls and hummed.

"Who's gonna be the opi…" I debated thoughtfully. Then I grinned and gave a small "ah-ha!"

"Optimus will be the opi. He's the protector, so he can get us credits for energon," I noted with a happy twitter. Opiluk would have been so proud of me for using logic to solve such a problem. "Ratchet will be the medic, Streamshot will be the sparkling caretaker, and Ravage will be the pet!" I was quite proud of my choices as I flicked on the sparkling doll. The doll immediately let out a happy chirp.

"Uh-oh! Optimus, we need more energon!" I exclaimed.

"Oh no! I will go to work to get us more!" I said for the plushie, lowering my voice accordingly in an attempt to make myself sound more mechly. It wouldn't do for the warrior to sound like a femme.

"Be safe, sparkmate!" I called in a normal voice as I walked Optimus to the painting desk. The sparkling in my arms twittered as I trotted back to my berth. "No good! Sparkling is sick. We need to visit the medic!"

I paused in my game as I tried to decide where the clinic should be. The shelves were too narrow to support my sparkling with all the datapads and holocubes there. I looked over at my toy chest and decided that it would make a pretty good clinic room. I skipped over to the toy chest and closed the lid. I lay the sparking on the closed lid and hurried back to the berth to grab Ratchet. The medibot plushie was white with red hands and red pelvis plating. He had a red cross on each shoulder, and a black chevron decorated his helm. I giggled as I lifted the plushie up and moved to the makeshift clinic.

"What's wrong with your sparkling?" I asked in a deep voice as I set approached the chest.

"She feels really sick," I answered in my normal voice.

"Well, let me scan her, and I can see what's wrong," I claimed in a deep voice, moving Ratchet around so that it was obvious that he was the one talking. I held Ratchet over my sparkling doll while he performed the scan. "Beep!" I chirped to show that the scan was done. "She just need rest," I said in Ratchet's voice. I gave a smile.

"That's good! Let's go recharge!" I said in my normal voice. I put Ratchet down on the chest since medics stayed in their clinic and moved back to the berth with my sparkling doll cradled in my arms. I was about to address the seekeress caretaker when the door to my room opened. I turned to address the one who was intruding on my play to see that it was my opiluk. I smiled and bounced in place. I loved it when Opi came to visit.

"Hello, Moonstrike," Opi greeted evenly. The sparkling in my arms gave a delighted chirp, and I quickly turned the doll off.

"Hi, Opiluk," I replied, placing the doll down on my berth as he moved into the room. I blinked when I saw another mech, a seeker, follow Opi inside my room. The mech was taller than me, and took up the whole doorway, where he stayed. He didn't completely enter the room like Opiluk. I frowned as I shrank back a little trying to hide my frame behind my Opi's.

"Moonstrike, this is your new youngling caretaker," Opiluk stated. I shuttered my optics momentarily before looking over at the new mech in a new light. "His name is Starscream, and he will make sure you are safe and happy when I'm not around." After saying this, Opiluk turned to face my new caretaker. "Starscream, she requires energon twice a solar cycle. She is to recharge no later than half-way through the first lunar cycle. Remember what we spoke about. You do not want to incite my wrath," Opiluk warned. Starscream scowled at my opi, but nodded stiffly.

"Very good. I will see you at the beginning of the next solar cycle, Moonstrike. I have things I must attend to," Opiluk told me. I frowned, but nodded. Starscream entered the room so that Opiluk could leave. The seeker strode in and seated himself by the head of my berth, scooting back into a corner. I studied him for a klik before deciding that I could ignore him as I played. I didn't watch my opiluk as he walked out of the room, and I didn't see the triumphant and smug look in his optic. It was official, and there was no doubt about it.

Shockwave was winning the war.

* * *

><p><strong>Guest that is D-RockxIronhideForever:<strong> XD I think all of us feel that way. I only log in when I'm on my computer and sometimes my iPad. Just depends. Honey, please. As if I could kill of Optimus. Only Michael Bay can do that… and a few authors. But not me. I luv 'im too much ^-^

Hmmm…. As selfish and Starscream-ish as it is to say this, I don't think a simple cameo would be enough for me. Honestly, I hate Miko's character a lot, but at least it's a full-time part. Lol. You didn't miss much. I think you're only, like, two episodes behind. There was a season break, and TF:Prime is just starting back up. :D

**Angel897: **Lol. This was my goal. Make a bad guy that is actually hateable. I have a weakness for bad guys that are misunderstood, so I'm trying to teach myself how to write one that is a legit bad guy. ^^''

**InuXKag0.0: ***grin* This was my goal. I've had the hardest time making bad guys because I always want to make the bad guys turn into good guys in the end. Shockwave was my attempt at a creepy bad guy. :) Glad you like the story so much. It makes me so happy to know that my readers love this fic so much. :D

**Naughtia: **Wonder what will happen to the newspark… I'll have to start working through my plans on that… Walmart's actually kind of fun to work at. Given, I haven't actually gotten on the floor yet (I get that tomorrow) but, still. It's the people that you work with. :) Lol. Yeah, I've got a lot of reviews. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I answer all the reviews on every update rather than sending PMs. I think it kinda makes it seem more personal. Plus, I always thought it was fun searching through all the pennames to find your own reply XD

**Autobot-Bre:** Thanks so much! I'm very glad you like the fic and hate Shockwave. That's the way to go! ;P

**KnockOut'sFanGirl221:** Aw! You make me blush! It's nice to know that all my years of teaching myself have worked out perfectly. I really hope my actual published books become as popular to the world as this fic apparently is to… the site? The TF fanfic fandom…? Neh. Potato, pahtahto. 0.0! Dang! You really hate Shocky, don't ya? XD This is good. I wanted to make a hateable bad guy. *nod nod* I have succeeded. :)

**Starscream's Prime:** Well, he hacked her processor. Does that count?

**Gaia Kame:** Glad you like it! :D Thank you so much for your compliments, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic :)

**Iceshadow911247:** XD I should _so_ do that! I remember reading one of **Daemonickitten**'s fics, and the Autobot theme song (from the movie) came on while I was reading one of Optimus's leader "We will go down fighting to protect this person" speeches, and I spazzed. It was so fraggin perfect! XD

Oh oh oh! I did one of those. Sorta. It was Starscream/OC, and the OC was Optimus and Elita's daughter. It was a one-shot. :) I love my one-shots. Ironically, I love rereading my one-shots, but I can't stand rereading my chapter fics. Makes no sense, but I always advertise my one-shots over my chapters fics. They're cuter :)

XD Yup. Come on, darling. Surely you knew she would end up in Shockwave's claws sooner or later! ;) And I love making her romantically involved with Jazz in all her nightmares.

Make sure you keep a close eye on those cars. If the driver suddenly vanishes, tackle the car, keep it from getting away, and contact me. We shall both be taken to the Autobots, and I will marry Jazz. Or Optimus. Or Ratchet. Or Bumblebee. Or Sideswipe… Oh, Primus… WHAT IF NONE OF THEM WANT TO MARRY ME?! TT^TT

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Lol. The joys of being a writer! We can make anything happen! I have a friend that always says, "You better watch what you say to her. Jennifer will make you a character in one of her stories and kill you painfully." I sigh and roll my eyes.

**Jeannette Hetfield:** Yup. Shocky is a major creeper. Prime is having a bit of a bad day (when isn't he?) So is Moonstrike, for that matter. Poor femme. And don't worry. I definitely got my priorities straightened out. I like feeling like an adult, though. :)

**Chistarpax:** Yeah. I think anything that has "titis" tacked on the end sucks :\ Lol. Yeah, I think all my fans are expected something truly painful for his death. *nod nod*

**CocoLab:** Lol. I am planning something truly fantastic for him *evil grin*

**CatGirlFireflare:** XD Just leave enough for Optimus. He deserves a swing. ;)

**Fanmanbookman:** I know how you feel. I don't really wanna give up my characters, but I gotta move on. Every story must end (unfortunately). I'm super excited for my next fic, though. I get to dive into Sunstreaker's head! Can't wait to write a narcissistic character! :D

**Noella50881:** Thanks! Glad you liked it! :)

**Wolfwitch94:** XD Thank you so much. 0.0! My! Not quite what I have planned, but… strangely satisfying. The only thing that sucks is that you will be polluting a perfectly good pot of velvetta fondue. :\

**Target Ninja:** XD Yeah, he's a master creeper. ;) He's been practicing. I'm actually kind of excited to get on the floor. I think the only thing that will trip me up is the different types of tenders (WIC and SNAP. They ring up differently)

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Tell me about it. :\ Poor Moonstrike doesn't even remember now. Poor femme.

**Kae88:** XD Thank you for the compliments. I'm very glad you like it, and I hope you enjoy what else I present. :D

**Retrobot:** Eh heh. Not much fluff this chapter. Glad you like it, though. I try not to overload a story with mushy stuff, and I try to never cross any lines. Makes life easier :)

**SilverNeira:** Lol. Just remember to save a piece of him for Optimus to stab at. *nod nod* I'm sorry, but no. Once I post the last chapter of this fic, it will be shut down. No sequels, no side stories… Nada. I have so many things on my plate, and on top of that, I _have_ to start weaning myself off this site and the feedback it gives. I have taught myself, and like all good things in life, this has to come to an end. Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving up Transformers, and I won't be completely quitting Fanfic. Slag, I might even start another chapter fic after I get the serious stuff out of the way, but for now… I need to turn my focus elsewhere. :) My apologies if it is a let-down.

**XLizardXQueenX:** Yeah. ^^'' No time, but I wanted to update, and it was a good stopping point. :)

**Kellie Witwicky:** XD Sorry to leave you hanging! Here, let me help you up from that cliff there!

**A Wiccan:** Cool! I understand what you mean, though, about people judging. I mean, people normally hate Christians because we preach, but we don't practice what we preach (Plus we're against most of the liberal beliefs). Plus, a lot Christians don't know how to go about introducing Christ into a conversation without immediately jumping to the fire and brimstones. I mean, as a Christian, I can kinda understand where they're coming from. You want everyone to be saved from Hell, but they go about it all wrong.

I totally agree about beliefs, though. I have an atheist friend and a Buddhist, and we have the coolest religious debates (I friggin love debating religion). I love Christianity because I have yet to lose an argument with it. It's fascinating how the Bible can defend itself. :D I love learning other beliefs, though, because people always… misinterpret other's beliefs. For instance, I heard that wiccans perform magic and summon demons and such. That's mainly why I asked: to debunk what I had been told in the past. I love that you are willing to answer questions. So many times, people will get angry at me simply because I was a Christian asking questions. -_- I'm happy that you are willing to answer them. Can I ask more?

How do you mix the different gods? I mean, Jesus said that He was the only way to Heaven and not to worship other gods, and Greek gods have so many rules. And where do the elements come in? Primus, this is so fraggin' fascinating! X)

* * *

><p><strong>Excerpt From upcoming fic!<strong>

Things couldn't stay this bad forever.

That was the phrase repeating in her processor as she peered over the edge of the tall, yet short building. The roof was only about fifty feet off the ground, a one story building that had once served as a café for more wealthy people; however, to a ten-foot-tall youngling, that was a long, long drop. She wiggled her growing wings a little as she gauged the distance to the distant junk pile on the ground. Developing thrusters lit up as she jumped off, slowing her descent. She landed soundlessly in a crouch and sprinted across the deserted street. The Seekling turned sharply down an alleyway and made her way to the latest battleground, hoping to find some form of life. She had heard the gunshots from the Loft, a place in lower Praxus where she was living with another youngling, Bluestreak. Gunshots meant two foes, and two foes meant that at least one had to be an Autobot… hopefully. She wasn't kidding herself. There was a big chance that one Decepticon pissed off another one, causing a fire fight. But if that were the case, she'd just go back to the Loft.

"Foolish Autobot. Your bravery will be your end!" a deep voice crowed. The Seeker femling sped up before dropping down to hide behind a dead Decepticon body as she surveyed the scene before her. The Autobot was obviously a medic, a fact proven by the red and white armor that marked every Autobot medic. A blue visor covered his optics, and a dented white facemask protected his mouthplates. Energon was leaking from little cuts across his body, and it flowed from a gunshot wound on his right shoulder. A small stream of the stuff was flowing from the bottom of his facemask, proving that it hadn't done its job. The two fallen Decepticon bodies were proof that the 'bot had been ambushed. A scowled marred the Seekling's face. Without thinking twice, she pulled a sniper rifle from subspace. The gun accessed her transformation cog and joined with her arm, completely replacing her arm from the elbow joint down. A black visor snapped down over her red optics and connected with her targeting systems as she aimed. She hesitated for a klik. She hadn't ever shot to kill. Heck, her aim wasn't very good to start out with. What if she missed and hit the Autobot on accident?

"Die, Autobot scum!" the Decepticon cried out melodramatically, aiming his own plasma pistol at the Autobot's spark chamber.

"No!" the Seeker femme gasped, and she shot. The Decepticon's shoulder jerked before a fountain of energon exploded from it.

"Fraggit!" he roared. His red optics landed on her immediately, and she gasped as she jumped to her pedes and made a break for the junk pile a few yards away. "Fraggin' Seeker!" he snarled. A few shots rang out.

"Ow!" she yelped as fire exploded through her right thigh. She screamed in agony when another shot ripped through the right side of her torso. She collapsed just as another shot grazed her right wing, sending her sensors into a fritz. Her systems forced her gun to transform back into subspace with the knowledge that she didn't have enough energon to make any more ammo. Slag, it hurt so bad! Another shot rang out, followed by a pained bellow, before a final shot silenced the area.

"Are you okay?" a voice called out. The voice was gentle, a silent promise to protect. The femling moaned in pain.

"Hurts," she called back weakly. She heard heavy footsteps and turned her head to see the medic slowly dropping to the ground beside her.

"It's going to be alright."

* * *

><p><strong>Bonus Scene Requested by Reader :) <strong>

**Scene: Jazz meets Streamshot after Rip-Rage dies. PG-13 for Jazzy romance ;)**

Streamshot stared silently at the wall across from her berth. He was dead. Not only was he dead, but by his own hand. He killed himself like some slaggin' coward. Why? Why would he do that to her? Why would he do that to_ Moonstrike_? Primus, what her friend must be going through! Streamshot tried to work up the will-power to go visit her friend, but she found that she couldn't. She couldn't stand up and walk out that door. What's more, she couldn't pretend that everything was okay while comforting her friend. She couldn't because things were so backwards, so obviously _not_ okay.

Her vents hitched as she thought about the possible future. Would the Autobots think she was a traitor? Would she be brigged for association? Her vents hitched again as energon gathered in her optics. She didn't want to be a Decepticon. She had just barely escaped her life as one. Energon fell down her cheek plates in two small streams.

Two evenly timed knocks pulled her from her reverie, but she ignored them, wanting to wallow in fear, pain, and self-pity. There were two more knocks before a gentle, deep voice called out, "Streamshot? C'mon, baby, op'n the door." Streamshot had no idea what a "baby" was, but she wasn't going to stand up. Instead, she curled her body up in a fetal position, wrapping her arms tight around her knees as she hide her face.

"Stream?" Jazz called out again. "Stream, I'm comin' in." There was a moment of silence before the door hissed open. There was a sigh, and she heard his footsteps moving toward her as the door hissed shut again. "Aw, Streamshot," Jazz murmured as he stopped beside her. He gingerly lowered himself to the floor and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, swee'spark, look at meh."

"Go. Away," Streamshot hissed, her voice hitching on the two words.

"We both know you don' wan' that," Jazz informed her. Streamshot's vents hitched on a sob.

"Please, leave me be," she begged. Jazz shook his helm, though she couldn't see the movement.

"I can't do that. Stream, let me help ya," Jazz pleaded as he pulled her completely into his lap.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why won't you just leave me alone?" Streamshot demanded as she uncurled, glaring at the mech that held her. Jazz gave her a caring smile.

"I've been watchin' ya, Stream, ever since I saved ya, jus' admirin' you fr'm afar. You… I can't stand ta see you in pain, Stream. You see, I don't love you…" Jazz paused as he looked her in the optics, "but I'm pretty close." Streamshot stared at him in shock.

"But… but… Me? Why me? I'm nobot special," she confessed with a frown. Jazz smiled.

"But you are," he murmured. "You're pretty," he murmured as he gently kissed her. "And sweet." He kissed her again. "And kind, and loving, and beautiful, and wonderful, and funny." He continued the list, giving her small kisses in between. Finally, he pulled back and stared at her dazed face. "And I don't love you yet, but I will." And with that said, he pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. Her vents hitched again, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He was the one to break the kiss, and he guided to head to rest on his chest, allowing her to relax.

"Recharge, my intended. You need it, and I will keep you safe," Jazz promised as he rubbed her helm. "Oh, and when I next come in here, I better be the only mech on these walls."

* * *

><p>1) When talking about the stars on her ceiling... If you've been the Rainforest Cafe, that's what I'm envisioning, ceiling-wise.<p>

2) Yes, she's confusing her past youngling life with Shockwave's current farse. The whole protection thing where her opiluk wanted her around him at all times? That was Springer. If Spinger was on-base, you could guarantee that Moonstrike was with him. Same goes for Arcee, but remember that Moonstrike is a daddy's girl. :)

3) The sparkling in this chapter was an actual doll. No, Shockwave didn't kidnap and mess with a sparkling to make it a toy. He's not _that_ much of a creeper.


	46. Dreams and Plans

1) Now that I got the job at Walmart, start praying that I get another elsewhere. Being a cashier at Walmart is too stressful for me to deal with. Ready to move on

2) So, college starts next week. You know what that means? My fanfic life is going to slow down considerably. just so you know.

3) And a general note to everyone, cuz I had four PMs asking this question, and I don't want anybody to be confused. Moonstrike is still in her adult body. Since she has an adult spark, she wouldn't be able to live in a youngling body. It'd be like when she was in a cybercat's body. The spark would run the body ragged, and it would eventually snuff itself out.

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><p>Chapter 46<p>

Happy Dreams and Plans

3,407 words

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><p>The room was silent and still, if you ignored the seeker sitting in the corner who twitched his wings every so often. The room was rather dark as well, being only barely lit by the faux stars that glittered on the ceiling. Even in the darkness, though, a certain seeker remained online and studied his "charge." The femme had long since gone offline, but the seeker was less inclined to offline his optics, seeing as he had onlined them for the first time since his death only breems ago. He should have known when Shockwave brought him back that it was for some ridiculous reason.<p>

His optics roved over the adult femme recharging on the berth beside him. She was strange in appearance, sporting the audios and tail of a cybercat. Her back held no rotary blades, though he could clearly see where they would attach. He could see that she was obviously an adult, yet she acted like a child, something that was probably Shockwave's doing. Shockwave had brought him back online only a solar cycle ago and had told him that if he did not care for a special experiment, he would not see his trine again. So, in essence, Shockwave brought him back to life to sparkling-sit a femme who wasn't really a sparkling.

But… then what was she to Shockwave? Starscream had plainly seen the Wrecker insignia on her shoulder, so he knew she was not a Decepticon, and he hadn't been offline long enough for Shockwave to have a sparkling of his own. So what made this femme so special? Why toy with her processor and coding?

Starscream rose to his pedes as his natural curiosity took over. Without hesitation, he walked to the side of the berth where the femme was resting and pulled out a medical-grade scanner. It had been a while since he used it, the last time being when he had last seen his trinemates on Cybertron before the Allspark's ejection. If he recalled correctly, Skywarp had torqued off a Stunticon. The scanner was one of the few things that had survived from his orns as a scientist and explorer. It felt rather strange to be using it again. He forced himself to pull away from his thoughts as he ran the scanner over her spark, trying to make sure the spark was actually that of an adult, and not of a child forced into an adult's frame.

"Hmmm… this is interesting…" Starscream murmured to himself as he read the results. So little femme experiment was sparked and mated. No wonder she was playing sparkmate and creator when he arrived. Her instincts must be running haywire, and the poor femme had no idea. He wondered idly if the bond was still active and who was one the other end of it. "It seems there is quite a bit Shockwave doesn't know about you, little femme," Starscream mused as he sank back into his self-claimed corner. A familiar smirk rose to his lips. He had the information… Now to figure out how to use it to get himself back to his trine…

* * *

><p>"<em>Optimus?" <em>

"_Hmmm…"_

"_Optimus? Where are you?"_

_The voice was vaguely familiar, and Optimus groaned as he came to, not wanting to wake up just yet. Still, the voice beckoned him. Sweet tones singing his name playfully. Despite his fatigue, he couldn't deny that he wanted to see the face of the femme that sounded so sweet, so beautiful._

"_Optimus," the femme sang with a small giggle. "C'mon, handsome. Wake up for me."_

"_Hmm."_

"_Optimus… Optimus, why won't you wake up?" Optimus grunted a bit, wanting to tell her that he was only resting his optics. He would wake up soon enough. He just wanted a few more kliks…_

"_Optimus, stop it!" the voice shrieked. Optimus's optics flashed on, and he gasped when he saw Elita sitting across the room, a hand over her spark as she curled up in pain._

"_Elita?" he rumbled in surprise as he rose from his berth to walk to her._

"_No! Stay away! Please, don't hurt me again!" Elita pleaded, tears of energon flowing from her optics. Optimus paused in his steps, confused by this reaction. He hadn't hurt her. He'd _never_ hurt her._

"_Elita, what do you speak of?" he asked with a frown._

"_Don't hurt me! I don't wanna die again!" she bawled._

"_Elita, my love, all is well," he promised as he continued to her side._

"_Optimus, help!" another female voice cried. Optimus froze in his steps and turned to his right. His energon froze in his lines when he saw that the other femme that was calling for him was Moonstrike. She was lying limp in a cage that was just big enough for her to straighten her body, but it was too short for her to do more than sit up, not that it mattered. She didn't appear to have enough strength to move, much less sit up. Her body was beaten and bruised. Most of her armor was missing, and what was left was chipped and scratched. Cuts and dried energon dotted what he could see of her protoform, and her optics stared dimly at him in pain and fear._

"_Optimus… don't leave me," Moonstrike begged him weakly. She coughed weakly, and Optimus was horrified to see fresh energon appear on her lip components. She slowly reached out a hand so that it was outside the cage and easily accessible. _

"_Primus, Moonstrike," Optimus murmured as he began to move in her direction. He wondered idly why she was in a cage in his room as he approached her, but the thought didn't seem to matter much. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. "Moonstrike?" he addressed her gently as he knelt by her side, noticing with a jolt that her optics were offline._

"'_M sorry," she whispered as she forced her optics back online. "Don't be mad at me."_

"_Mad? Why would I be mad at you?" he asked in a gentle voice as he put his hand around hers._

"_I'm dying… I have to leave you alone again," she murmured on a sob. Optimus looked over his shoulder at the spot that Elita once inhabited, only to see a grayed shell of the femme he once loved. His wide optics focused back on Moonstrike, and he gasped when he saw that her frame was graying as well._

"_No, no, no. Moonstrike, my love, stay with me," he ordered gently, taking her hand in both of his. "Don't leave me," he pleaded._

"_I love you, Optimus. So much…"_

"Moonstrike!" Optimus gasped as he onlined. He heard something fall backwards, and a string of curses rose, along with laughter.

"Primus fraggit, Prime! Will you fraggin stay offline!" Ratchet snapped. Optimus turned his helm to look at the medic, watching him as he rose from the floor. The Autobot leader wondered idly why the CMO had been sitting on the floor in the first place, but he brushed it off as he looked around for his sparkmate. Sideswipe was lying on the berth beside him with his twin, and both were voicing their amusement. Sideswipe was laughing rather obnoxiously, and Sunstreaker was grinning. On Optimus's other side was Streamshot, who appeared to be in a rather deep recharge.

"She broke one of her welds, so she'll be here a few more solar cycles," Ratchet stated.

"Moonstrike…?" Optimus questioned quietly. He grimaced at the slight pain in his vocal processor when he spoke, but ignored it in favor of listening to his CMO.

"We have located what we think is Shockwave's base. Jazz is almost there and plans to infiltrate it and find Moonstrike," Ratchet reported. Optimus nodded absently as he focused his attention inward.

**/Moonstrike?/** he called out over their bond. He felt a sense of confusion before there was a hesitant answer.

**/Who are you…?/** Optimus gave a small whine of sadness at this question. **/You're sad… why?/**

**/My true love does not remember me/** Optimus replied honestly, allowing his sadness to flow over the link. He received a sense of sympathy, a sort of "there, there" reaction.

**/Why not? Can I help? Who are you?/** The three questions were asked in rapid succession, eagerness and curiosity floating from the link.

**/She was taken captive by an evil mech, and he stole her memories of me. I do not know what you could do to help me, though… My name is Optimus/** the prime replied evenly. Shock filtered through the bond, followed by excitement.

**/Really? You're voice is beautiful, my noble warrior/** The voice seemed to take on a different feel, as if it were a child playing a role. Optimus frowned at this and probed a bit deeper into the bond. Experience yielded its reward, though he couldn't say if the reward was a good one. He appeared to be in a dreamscape of some sort, and Optimus immediately knew Moonstrike was recharging. He glanced down at himself and found that he no longer had flames on his armor. Instead, his held a simple dark blue paintjob. His right arm held a plasma cannon much like Ironhide's, and his left was attached to a Cybertonium blade that held an uncanny likeness to Sunstreaker's and Sideswipe's.

"Thank goodness you've come to save me, noble warrior!" a familiar, yet unfamiliar voice called out. Optimus frowned as he turned to face the speaker, and his spark nearly stopped. Standing before him was none other than Moonstrike, or a youngling version of her. She stood only seven feet tall, barely even coming to his knee joint. Her optics were a bit too large, though it was cute in a childish sense, her audio amplifiers almost completely took up the top half of her helm, and her tail flicked back and forth energetically. His spark stuttered a bit when he realized thanks to the bond that this was how her mind viewed itself. Primus, what had Shockwave _done_ to her?

* * *

><p>I was in a deep recharge when I first felt the stirrings of the strange bond. My drowsy processor refused to completely online for a bond it didn't completely recognize, but my curiosity was a bit more persistent. I whirred quietly as my spark reached out subconsciously at the other bot who was straining so greatly to reach it.<p>

**/Moonstrike?/** I mentally frowned at this. I didn't recognize this bond or the feeling in my spark, yet the other bot seemed to know my name.

**/Who are you…?/** I questioned slowly. I didn't recognize this mech, but I could feel affection flowing into my spark, a type of affection I wasn't really familiar with. I frowned when I felt his pain through the bond. I didn't understand why, but his pain saddened me. **/You're sad… why?/**

**/My true love does not remember me/** the voice replied sadly. I sent back my sympathy. I didn't know much about relationships, but in books I had read, the mech was always sad when his princess was with the bad guy. It must be even worse for this mech who had his princess but could not be with her because she couldn't remember him.

**/Why not? Can I help? Who are you?/** I asked quickly, wanting to ease his pain.

**/She was taken captive by an evil mech, and he stole her memories of me. I do not know what you could do to help me, though… My name is Optimus/** I gasped in shock, then excitement flooded through me. It was Optimus! It was my warrior! Maybe this was actually my dream! Well, if I was gonna dream, I would dream big.

**/Really? You're voice is beautiful, my noble warrior/ **I said evenly as I adopted my princess voice. I immediately focused a bit and changed my surroundings. No true princess lived in the dark! I chose to put myself in a beautiful castle that had been in one of my books. In reality, it was the Iaconian Stronghold with hints of the Vosian Royal Palace, and it overlooked the Sea of Lights. Standing before me was my Optimus. His blue armor glinted in the sunlight that was offered by the large balcony he stood before. He appeared to be studying his armor and weapons.

"Thank goodness you've come to save me, noble warrior!" I exclaimed. My mech whirled around and stared at me in what appeared to be shock and horror. Why was he looking at me like that?

"Oh, yeah!" I exclaimed when I realized what I was doing wrong. "I'm not s'posed to remember you!" I frowned as I debated what I should say next. I was saved from having to reply by Optimus striding over to me and keeling down before me.

"Moonstrike? What… how… What happened to you?" he questioned as he retracted his weapons so that his hands were free. How strange. His optics were blue instead of red… My mouth twisted into a small grimace as I debated how to play this out.

"The bad mech took me away!" I cried dramatically. His hands cupped my cheeks, and he pressed his forehelm against mine.

"I know, Moon. I'm going to get you back, I promise. Is the sparkling safe?" he asked. I blinked in surprise, then I understood. Of course I was with sparkling! I was the princess, and he was my warrior. We loved each other a lot, and everybot knew sparklings were created by the love of a mech and a femme.

"The sparkling's okay, but I don't know how long I can last like this!" I claimed as I leapt into his grasp and wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug. His arms wrapped around me, and he hugged me close to himself.

"I will save you, my love. I promise. Just hang on a little longer. Jazz is coming for you," Optimus stated. I shook my helm, playing along. Jazz must be a part of his army… or maybe he was supposed to be my personal bodyguard… Had I accidentally misnamed one of my dolls? Maybe Kup was actually supposed to be named Jazz…

"Okay. Just be careful, my love!" I ordered, forcing a few tears up to help out with the drama of my play scene. Optimus pulled me back and stared into my optics for a few kliks.

"I love you so much," he confessed as he studied me. "It is strange to see you so young. I feel as if I am too old for you."

I blinked and looked down at myself. He had a point. I was a youngling, and he was an adult mech. It would be frowned upon for us to mate… Geez, what would Opiluk think of the sparkling? I fought back the urge to snicker at that as I thought of what I would look like in the future.

"Was I older when you last saw me?" I asked curiously. Optimus chuckled and nodded.

"Quite a bit older," he replied. I hummed in thought as I processed this.

"Was I pretty?" Laughter rumbled from the warrior mech.

"Very much so. You were the most beautiful femme I knew," he confided.

"Oh… Will I ever see you again, or is the last dream I'll have of you?" I questioned. Optimus frowned, and that sense of pained sadness returned.

"Dream? You think this… is a dream?" he asked. I nodded.

"You're just my plushie. Optimus isn't a real person. Neither is Kup, or Streamshot, or Ravage, or Ratchet," I said sadly.

"You named your plushies after…" A sense of hope filled the bond as Optimus trailed off. "I must leave for now, but you will see me again. I promise."

"You promise…?" I repeated, wanting to ensure that I would see him again. Optimus nodded with a smile.

"I promise."

With that, the dream slowly faded away. My spark lurched uncomfortably when Optimus's… essence, I guess, disappeared. I frowned as my processor slowly fell back, dropping my systems back into a recharge state.

* * *

><p>"…timus…Op…Prime…Up…Ime…Fraggit…Up! Get up! Optimus!" Optimus's optics flashed back online, and he stared up at Ratchet, who appeared to be somewhere between perturbed and extremely angry. Maybe it was a strange combination of the two… "Fraggit, Prime, what the frag happened?" Ratchet demanded furiously.<p>

"Moonstrike… She is still in the bond. I saw her…" Optimus trailed off as he gave Ratchet a worried look. "Ratchet, Shockwave meddled with her processor. I think the others were right. I think he altered her processor to make her think she is a youngling."

"Frag," Ratchet muttered to the side, then he met Prime's optics again. "What else do you have for me?"

"She remembers us. At least, she very loosely remembers us. She named her dolls after us. I believe she had you, me, and Kup. Ah, and Streamshot. I cannot recall who the last one was named after, but she believed I was a warrior and treated me as if I were a love interest."

"What do you mean by that?" Ratchet questioned.

"She seemed to be playing some sort of childish role-playing game. She was the princess. I was the noble warrior," Optimus expounded. Ratchet nodded.

"I see. Perhaps this can work in our favor. If she believes Shockwave is her opiluk, she won't come with us willingly. However, if her warrior says that he's saving her…" Ratchet trailed off as he fixed Optimus with a contemplative look.

"You think that would work?" Optimus questioned.

"I don't know yet. I'll have Prowl run the data and see the chances of success that plans holds. For now, we just need to hope Jazz is successful."

"Indeed. Now… what happened to the twins?" Optimus asked, peering over at the berth that once held the two pit-raisers. Ratchet's engine revved irritably.

"Gone." With that said, Ratchet stalked away from his berth and to his office. It was only then that Optimus saw the words "Sexy Medic" painted on his back in red paint, and if the medic's anger was anything to go by, it was the special ultra-strength used by the twins themselves. There were times he wondered if those two mechs had a death wish of some sort.

* * *

><p>The streets were dark, lit only by the light of Cybertron's second moon. The sun would be rising soon, and he needed to be inside the stronghold before then. He had known the moment he started scoping the place out that he had the right place. He knew this the second Blackout stalked past the spot where he was hidden. Had he been a few feet taller, Jazz would have been spotted by the mech. It was strange how sometimes he hated his height, yet other times he loved it.<p>

"Well… this is it…" Jazz muttered to himself. He flicked his visor over his optics before dashing across the open space that led to the outside vent. He had traded his silver armor in for black, though it probably wouldn't help much once he was inside. Disappearing was more Mirage's deal. Blending in was Jazz's. Not that it made a difference. Jazz didn't plan on leaving the venting system for more than a breem at a time.

"Right. Le's hope this works," Jazz mumbled as he pulled out a small laser scalpel he pilfered from Ratchet many vorns ago. He onlined it, carefully hiding any light it emitted with his black frame, and he started cutting. While he cut, he was painfully aware of his surroundings. Every so often, a mech or two would walk by, and he would have to stop his work to keep from getting discovered. Then again, he knew from the beginning that the job of a saboteur could be rather time-consuming.

"Ha! Success!" Jazz whispered in self-praise as he finally finished his small hole. He gently yanked the bars from the vent and crawled inside. Once inside, he turned and rewelded the four bars haphazardly to hide the evidence of there ever being a bot there.

"Now, where to go, where to go," Jazz muttered to himself. His visor gave the layout of the base. Well, it gave what Prowl was pretty sure was the layout. "Well, let's see what exploring will get me." With that decision made, Jazz moved forward, ready to take his mission to the next step. He was inside. Now, he just needed to find the femme.

* * *

><p><strong>Kae88:<strong> XD I try not to blow y'all's minds too often. It is kinda fun, though ;) I honestly though you poor readers deserved the fluff at the end. Last chapter was so insane, so I was like, "I shall write a Streamshot/Jazz fluff, and hope they forgive me for messing with their emotions." ^-^ I try.

**Noella50881:** Thanks. :D Sounds awesome. :)

**Target Ninja:** 0.0 You thought he ripped out Moon's baby?! Primus, I would cry! Besides, the baby is just a spark right now. She's not far enough along for she body to be even building the sparkling frame, yet.

You know, I don't really mind SNAP or WIC. SNAP runs like a debit card, and I will admit that it annoys me when the people use it to buy groceries then spend a hundred dollars on a new sound system, but I can deal. See, with WIC, you have to say that it's WIC first or else you can't use it. So if someone let's me ring up the whole thing, then says, "This is on WIC," then I have to completely abort the transaction and start over. :\ That's what bugs me about that. But yeah…

I hope everyone loves this new fic when I finally get it out. I think I'll probably publish the teaser chapter (Chap before my prologue) with the chapter after next (chapter 48). I super excited for that! X3

**Starscream's Prime:** Lol. I hope this one wasn't as irritating ;)

**Chistarpax:** Lol. I have Shocky's future all planned out. Rest assured that he will not get away with this. He's got quite a bit coming to him *evil smile*

I had too much fun writing that. It was straight-forward and easy to write, and Jazz is always so much fun to write out. Stream deserves a bit of love, anyways. Poor femme's had a terrible couple of cycles :(

Aaaannnd… Yes, I do believe you know the medic. I'll give you a hint: he's not the one that wields wrenches ;)

**Transformers girl 1234:** Yup! My fic is definitely a long one, but it is nearing it's end. :( My first legitimately completed fic. :) I'm excited.

**Leonixon:** XD This is why I named it that. I wanted to give a warning out without giving too much away. Putting "I'm sorry" in the AN just didn't seem… right. Not enough warning.

Moon's safe right now. We can only she remains so until Prime gets there.

Jazz: Are ya jealous, babe? I might come visit'cha if ya put mah pictuh on ya wall. *wink*

**A and A Pikachu Prime:** Lol. I understand completely. I'm the same way with Rika and Foster from Daemonickitten's _Her Twins._ I try my hardest, but I just can't like the characters. *shrug* What can ya do? AT least you like my main character ;)

Was it you that I promised he would get hurt? I know I told someone that he would get hurt later on. Yeah, this was how my sister and I played when we were younger. I was very nostalgic as I wrote it, thinking of the times that have past *sigh* Only we used a combination of Bratz, Barbies, GI Joes, and some of my brother's action figures.

**Naughtia:** ^-^ Thank you! When I finally finish it, I'm gonna post a picture of it as my profile picture for a short while so that everyone can see it :) I love my pillow. And when I say ten months, I only mean for about thirty minutes a day or less. I don't have the attention span to sit down that long and hand stitch. Hence the long completion time ;) I love writing youngling behavior, like her playing with dolls. It is strange to think of it, though. It'd be like my sister-in-law suddenly acting like a child again. It's just weird. :\

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** XD I wasn't planning that! What if Shockwave's a good guy in one of the continuities? XD I can see it now.

*Shockwave enters scene behind Megatron on Transformers: Prime*

Luna Prime: YOU SLAGGER! HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE ON TRANSFORMERS AFTER YOU MESSED WITH PRIME'S SPARKMATE! GO DIIIIIEEEEE!

I'm fairly sure that is how I will react as well. *nod nod*

However, though you are right about Optimus finding her through the bond, she isn't experienced enough in it to send her location to him. They can only chat. As for her creator/creation bond with Arcee and Springer, the creation bond dies away after a youngling is transferred to their final frame. Close, though. :)

**Patchwork Knightess:** Yup. Shockwave is the creeper supreme *nod nod*

**Angel897:** Glad you enjoyed it. :)

**KnockOut'sFanGirl221:** XD What, you don't like the idea of Shockwave staring through your bedroom window at night with his single creepy optic? I wonder if her has x-ray vision? Lol! Who am I kidding? Of course he does! All transformers probably do! XD

**Iceshadow911247:** I love dream sequences because I can do whatever I want, ya know? I don't have to stick to a plot, and with nightmares, I can add a bit of angst and let all my negative emotions have an outlet. *shrug*

A PM will be sufficient. And you may have Jazz. I call dibs on Optimus or Ratchet. XD I friggin' love your reviews. XD

**Autobot-Bre:** :3 Yeah, I had fun writing out her play scene. It was like my childhood days all over again. *sigh* what I wouldn't give to be a kid again.

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Lol. Yeah, that was what I was going for. ;)

**CatGirlFireflare:** I'm sure Optimus would love to give him that nice little push. :) Maybe… I have something planned, though. *nod nod*

**Gothic-Hippie13:** Glad you like it. =D Most that read this fic develop the most negative feelings toward's Shockwave for some reason. Dunno why ;) Thanks for the feedback, and I'm glad you liked it. :D

**Jazaline Coriana Lupus:** Glad you liked the excerpt. Poor Streamshot needed some lovin'. :( I think Jazz's perfect for her. :) And that's my newest fic. I hope to get it out by the 15 of September. We'll see, though. Gotta finish this one, first.

**TheLOLEater:** I must admit that I do not understand your username at all… Just so you know ;) Could you tell me why you chose it? Thank you so much for your compliments! I so love feedback, and luckily, most of it on this fic is positive. I'm so glad that I can keep everyone entertained. Sadly, I'm not actually a cheerleader anymore, though I was good at balancing everything out at that time. Now, I'm just an average Jane, trying to balance out work, college, and fanfic, and I'm not doing very well, if my two week lack of updates is anything to judge by.

I'm very careful about keeping my character original, and I think it helps that my brain works very logically. I'm a lot like Prowl in the sense that if something is illogical, I tend to stop and focus on that thing until I can make it make sense, writing included. That's why I rarely give my OCs superpowers, and it's why my main characters always have flaws and never immediately fall in love. It's just too illogical. So, in cases like this, it's a good thing, but in other cases, it can be quite the opposite. -_-" Thank you again for taking the time to review, and I hope you liked the update :)

**A Wiccan: **Fascinating! That's so deep! So do you believe in mythological things? Tree spirits and such? And how do you get the religions to agree? I mean, so few of them agree in the afterlife. I mean, so many religions conflict in what to do with other who don't believe, in what happened in the past, what will happen in the future. So, do you just believe that all of them are correct?

**Fanmanbookman:** Lol. I won't really start on the next fic until this one is completely finished. I don't want the ending of this one to die out because I got focused on the next one :)

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** Lol. Just remember that Cybertronian devices aren't failsafe, either ;) Just ask Wheeljack.

… I wouldn't want him to have sparkling or pet… Personal opinion. I'd feel sorry for the other party. Shocky's a Creep.

! 0o0! I totally forgot about Three's a Crowd! D= I need to update that one fairly soon!

Actually, the Dreadwing in a Little Burst of Sunlight is an OC. I found out halfway into the fic that he was actually a TF character, and his TFwiki page said he was a moron and a prankster. That was before TF: Prime, though. I believe it comes back on next Friday. This Friday. On the 24. :)

**SilverNeira:** Lol. Yeah, I had fun with that. Irony is my best friend, and we have fun while we write this fic. However, as you can see in this chapter, she is in her normal body still. :) And Sunny didn't die. :)

**Katie Gibbs:** Glad you like it! :)

**Thebookfan09:** Thank you very much. I shall try to give my free time to my stories, but I dunno how that will work out. No, she was just having another nightmare. She's not gonna bond with Jazz, silly. I wouldn't do that to her ;)

**Mrs. Knockout:** XD Poor Sides didn't even stand a chance, especially when he's up against the Jazz-man. *nod nod* he cannot compare.

Lol. Yeah, the attack was kind of spur of the moment. I didn't have anything else to put, so I was just like, "Yeah, I'll go ahead and put the attack here. My readers are used to random crap happening, anyhow." Sad, but true. ;)

Neh… Shocky's a creeper. I feel kinda bad for him, but still…

I hope to have the first chapter of your ficlet out next Monday, since I have no freetime -_-

**Lady Minuialwen:** Indeed :(

**LesleyM:** I'm glad you like it! I try very hard to not let my OCs fall into a Mary-Sue category. It makes a story too predictable, and predictable stories are boring. Lol. Jazz and Sides are actually my favorites to write. Sides is such an idiot, and Jazz is so much fun. I don't think I got Sunny just right, but my next fic is a character study on him (sorta), so he will be perfected. Thank you for the review, and I hope you like the last few updates. We are nearing the end. =D D':

**Kellie Witwicky:** This is true, and I didn't mean to offend, but in all honesty, I see more "fire and brimstone Christians" preaching on the street than "I love Jesus. Let me share Him with you Christians," as sad as it is. I didn't mean that every Christian was, as I am a Christian myself, but you cannot deny that there are a lot of Christians out there like that. Honestly, I think that there are more "I love Jesus" Christians than there are "Fire and brimstone," but the thing is, those Christians are not the ones that are noticed, because he world wants to point out the Christians that do wrong :\ The world is a rather unfair and unjust place, no?

Believe me, honey, Shockwave hates him as it is. I just wanted to throw in another twist :)

Is the story you speak of Autobot Files by **Ghost of the Dawn**? That series is fraggin amazing!

* * *

><p>Well... There's the next update. :) Ciao!<p> 


	47. Rescues and Debates

1) Yeah... So... I'm back! :D

2) Okay, so who all caught the TF:Prime episode last week? I was screaming for Arcee the whole time. I mean, Shockwave kidnapped her daughter and reprogrammed her! XD I found it highly ironic that I started watching that episode after finishing the part in this chapter where Shockwave came in.

3) For fellow TF:Primers... Anybody else giggle everytime one of the Autobots (Wheeljack and Arcee) say "frag?" I mean, seriously. Arcee looked at Starscream and said, "Get fragged," and I was like, "Chica, you better watch that language, or somebot's gona wash your mouth out with solvent!"

4) Suddenly, I am a Arcee/Cliffjumper shipping fan...

5) To the serious stuff. Two more chapters planned. My first chapter on my new fic will be posted with my next update to this fic.

* * *

><p>Chapter 47<p>

Rescues and Bargains

4,792 words

* * *

><p>The base was silent for the most part, making it extremely difficult for the mech currently sneaking through the ventilation system. There was no denying that Jazz was the best there was when it came to sabotage, but he didn't really enjoy having to be so conscientious about how he moved. Still, he moved through the vents, crawling in a rather undignified manner (not that Jazz minded). He was careful to not let his knees drag when he moved, not wanting any sort of scraping sound to be heard outside the vents. He glanced ahead of him with a grimace and brightened a bit when he saw a bit of light flowing through a vent up ahead.<p>

'_Wonder what's behind vent number sixteen,'_ Jazz thought wryly. He had come across multiple other vents that led to personal quarters and a wash rack. He paused behind the vent and grinned when he looked through. _'Bingo,'_ he chirped internally. The security room. As he studied the multiple screens, Jazz found himself joyful that they had Red Alert at their base. He wouldn't have allowed a mech to get this far in. Jazz suddenly frowned at that thought. Shockwave was a genius mech… Why _had_ he let Jazz this far in…?

"Frag," Jazz muttered as he saw the final screen. It was filled with video feed from a different base, and he recognized the backgrounds. He recognized them from a mission long ago that had led into a full-scale attack. As he recalled, Shockwave had been experimenting on mechs and femmes at the beginning of the war, and his lab had been hidden in Iacon, under the Autobots' nose plates. From what Jazz could see, Shockwave had managed to completely rebuild that lab.

And now, Moonstrike was being held captive there.

Jazz could see in the bottom section of the screen that she was playing in a light blue room. Her left hand held a blue mech plushie, while her right held what appeared to be a seeker plushie. Her optics were bright with happiness as she ran around the room, completely engrossed in her childish game. In the corner of the room sat Starscream. Jazz almost felt his spark stop at the sight. The ex-SiC of the Decepticons was watching Moonstrike with what appeared to be bored disinterest, but Jazz didn't fail to notice that his wings twitched anytime she got too close to hitting something.

**::Jazz to Prowl:: -Jazz; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Report:: -Prowl; encoded Autobot signal**

**::We were wrong. She's in Shockwave's old Iacon lab. Starscream's in the room with her:: -Jazz; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Slag. Very well. Return when you can. We must go ahead with plan B:: -Prowl; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Got'cha. Hey, how's Prime?:: -Jazz; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Well enough to order me to include him in the extraction:: -Prowl; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Nice. By the way, she's in the old storage room by the main lab. He's changed it into a berthroom:: Jazz; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Okay. I will inform the prime. Until all are one:: -Prowl; encoded Autobot signal**

**::'Till all're one:: -Jazz; encoded Autobot signal**

Prowl sighed as he dropped the link. He could remember the attack on Shockwave's hidden lab. The scientist had managed to escape before the attack, taking all his most important experiments with him and leaving behind broken mechs and femmes, mutants, and dead bodies. It had traumatized many of the Autobots that were on the attack team, and Ratchet, Perceptor, and Smokescreen had spent much time repairing and rehabilitating these mechs and femmes. Most hadn't survived long, but there was a select few, such as Trailbreaker, that had been perfectly rehabilitated and lived normally now.

"Soundwave, Prime, Kup, we know where she is being hidden. Apparently, Shockwave has rebuilt his old lab in Iacon," Prowl informed the other three mechs in the room. Kup let out a short sting of curses, and Optimus gave an angry growl.

"Good. I'll gather my Wreckers. Prime, get together anybot that wants to go. I'm leaving in a joor, whether you come or not."

"Kup, you cannot simply rush in without a plan," Optimus stated, adjusting his injured arm in the metal sling that held it against his body.

"It's worked many times before, Prime, and it'll work here again. This ain't the first time we've had to rescue Moonstrike. So do us a favor, and stay out of our way," Kup snarled. "I've lost my youngling to this slagger for the last time." With that said, Kup stomped from the room, sending out comms and commands to all nearby Wreckers.

"Frag," Prime cursed under his breath. Rushing in like that would only make things worse. "Prowl, I want you to send in Mirage. I want him in and disabling video feeds before the Wreckers are completely assembled to leave this base. While you do that, I will get Hound and Bumblebee. Hound will use his hologram tech to disguise himself as one of the security drones, and he will locate Moonstrike. Bumblebee will rendezvous with Mirage in the security hub, and they both will go to Shockwave's main computer, where they will download all information they can find on Moonstrike's condition and experimentation. From there, you, Thundercracker, and Kup will attack the lab from all sides. Soundwave, Ratchet, Chemical, and I will sneak in through the back and will locate and extract Moonstrike. Chemical will know the outlay of the base better than us, along with Soundwave." Optimus glanced around at the mechs that stood in the room with him. "We cannot fail this time," the prime warned, knowing that if they did, it was unlikely Shockwave would allow Moonstrike to remain on-planet.

"I've contacted Mirage, and he is headed to the lab as we speak," Prowl stated.

"Very good. Let's gather everybot into the meeting room. We are going to end this war, once and for all."

* * *

><p>"Starscream, why don't you ever wanna play with me?" I asked as I followed closely behind him. He was currently leading me toward the wash racks, seeing as my armor was rather dusty. I didn't mind this, though. In fact, I was rather excited. Up until now, my creators simply washed me in their quarters, seeing as I was too small for the big bot wash racks. Now that I was a youngling, though, I could use the big bot wash racks, <em>and<em> I could wash _my own_ armor _without_ assistance!

"Because I don't play games," Starscream answered curtly. I grimaced at this fact. Who didn't like playing games? What did Starscream do in his spare time if he didn't play games? I frowned a bit. He took care of me… and watched me play… but that was no fun! Surely he did something else.

"So what do you do?" I asked as we turned into the wash racks.

"Nothing. Wash, runt," he ordered. I pouted a bit as I watched him leave me in one of the five wash racks in the room. I had gained absolutely nothing from that conversation. How irritating. I sighed as I turned to the wash rack controls. I blinked in surprise when I realized that I knew the perfect mix of hot and cold for my frame, despite the fact that I had never dealt with such a thing before. My creators had always set the temperature for me and hadn't yet taken the time to explain the settings to me yet. With a hum of curiosity, I set the temperature and onlined the rack.

I gave a delighted squeal when warmed cleaning solution waterfalled onto my helm. It felt _amazing_! My body relaxed under the gentle rain of the shower, and I gave a small twitter of comfort. I grabbed a cleaning cloth and started scrubbing at my armor. Given, my creators had done a much better job at cleaning off my armor than I seemed to be doing, but it was fun all the same. After all, this sort of proved that I was a big bot, that I was growing up. I couldn't wait to be an adult! They got to do _everything_. They got to drink high-grade, and they got to have an alternate mode, and they got to work and get money, and they got to go on dates and find their sparkmates. I sighed dreamily. Maybe Optimus would come bond with me when I finally got my adult frame.

"You almost done, runt?" Starscream called out harshly. I jolted in surprise before calling out, "Almost!" I had forgotten about the large jet, but no matter; I was finished, anyways. I offlined the rack and dropped the cloth into a laundry receptacle. I trotted out of the rack and moved to where Starscream was leaning against the wall.

"Done!" I chirped with a smile.

"Good. Go stand under the dryer, and we can get your energon," Starscream said dismissively. I nodded and moved into the drying room. It was a small room with towels on every flat surface. I didn't use those. Instead, I walked to the center of the room where fans sent warm air from the ceiling to the floor, creating a warm rush of air that dried bots' armor quickly while further relaxing them. My armor dried far too quickly for my taste. Then again, I would have happily stood in that warm air for the rest of the lunar cycle. I would've slept there if I knew Starscream and Opi would have let me. I knew that wasn't how it was, though. Starscream would take me to get my evening energon before putting me to bed. The wash rack was too open and couldn't offer me as much protection as my room apparently could.

"I'm ready, Starscream," I stated as I exited the drying room.

"Finally," Starscream mumbled as he straightened. "Come. We will get you energon."

"Okay. Can I have an energon goodie if I drink it all?" I asked with a grin. Starscream groaned as he rolled his optics. He didn't give me an answer as he strode away.

* * *

><p>Mirage stayed absolutely still as he watched the prime's mate leave the wash racks, walking beside Starscream as if it were a completely normal thing. He stared in shock as she asked for an energon goodie from the large seeker. The mech rolled his optics, but did not reply. With wide optics, the invisible mech watched as the mech Sam Witwicky had killed on Earth walked down the hall with a femme that obviously thought she was still a youngling. With a small scowl, the noble mech continued his trek through the base, moving quickly toward the security room. He was silent as he moved past mechs that could not see him. The lab didn't have many mechs on the inside, but he had seen that the outside was defended by enough mechs to make the job difficult. There were multiple hiding places amongst the run-down and deserted buildings surrounding the lab and under the streets, and every hiding spot was manned by at least four mechs. Even more patrolled the streets. It didn't shock Mirage that the area surrounding the once hidden lab was completely devoid of public life. With all the mechs prowling the area, he would have been surprised if there was even a cybercat in this area.<p>

His optics brightened when he suddenly saw the door to the security room before him. This was where things got tricky. He couldn't just go inside. That would alert the bots inside of his presence, and he needed the element of surprise in this.

It was as if Primus himself was smiling down on Mirage. The door opened of its own accord, and a black-armored mech left the security room. Mirage quickly moved into the room and grimaced at the sight before him. There were four mechs in the room and multiple screens. Mirage sighed soundlessly when he realized that he would have to kill again. He hadn't enjoyed the necessity back when he was still an Autobot in the Second Great War, but he had still done what was needed. With a frown, he pulled a gun from subspace and held it in his hand. Without hesitation, he let off four shots, and not a klik later, the four mechs were slumped in their seats.

"Such a pity," Mirage murmured as he let his electron disrupter offline. His red paint glowed a bit in the light of the screens, and he quickly moved to the nearest console and hacked in.

**::Mirage to Optimus Prime. Phase one: completed:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Acknowledged. Begin phase two:: -Optimus Prime; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Yes, sir:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Begin phase two:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Acknowledged:: -Hound; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Got'cha:: -Bumblebee; encoded Autobot signal.**

Hound and Bumblebee were silent as they moved through the outside of the lab. They moved side-by-side, neither wanting to be separated seeing as Hound was hiding both of their identities by matching holograms. Luck seemed to be with them, and nobot bothered them as they entered the base/lab through the front door. It wasn't really surprising, though. Nobot thought to bother a drone, and when there were two walking together, it normally meant they had already been put on a task. They followed Mirage's footsteps as he directed them via comm. link to the security room.

**::Beginning phase three. Kup has grown impatient and is launching his attack:: -Optimus Prime; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Acknowledged:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Hurry up. The Wreckers are acting like idiots again:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Joy. We're outside the security room:: -Hound; encoded Autobot signal**

The door to the security room hissed open, and the two disguised Autobots moved inside. The door hissed shut behind them, and Hound offlined his hologram projector. Mirage glanced over at them before returning his gaze to the screens.

"Hound, there is no need for you to search for Moonstrike. I have already located her room. Starscream is her guardian, so we need to change our plan of action," Mirage stated.

"To what exactly?" Bumblebee questioned as he looked at their mission leader. Mirage vented lightly as he studied the screens.

"Hound, you and Bumblebee will go to hack Shockwave's computer. I will go to Moonstrike's room, and I will negotiate with Starscream over Moonstrike's release to the Autobots. I will inform Optimus of this change. Go," Mirage stated. Hound nodded, and their disguise reappeared. Mirage walked as the two bots left the room, and he grimaced as he reactivated his electron disruptor. He faded from sight and strode toward the door. He exited the room and started down one of the gray halls.

**::Mirage to Optimus Prime. Divergence from initial plan:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Explain:: -Optimus Prime; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Starscream is acting as Moonstrike's guardian. I will speak with him about her, see if I can convince him to join our side and release her to us:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Very well. I will send Thundercracker and Skywarp ahead:: -Optimus Prime; encoded Autobot signal**

**::Acknowledged:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

**::And Mirage, do not let her get hurt during your… negotiations:: -Optimus Prime; encoded Autobot signal**

**::You have my word. Mirage out:: -Mirage; encoded Autobot signal**

* * *

><p>"Starscream, come play!" I chirped as I finished my energon. Starscream gave a pained look.<p>

"I have a better idea," he stated. "Why don't you draw something?" I gasped. That was a brilliant idea! Optimus said that he was coming to get me. I wasn't old enough to bond with him yet, but he'd probably appreciate something pretty to carry with him. With my decision made, I trotted over to my drawing desk and pulled out my paints and a thin piece of scrap metal. I would make my picture perfect for my warrior. I opened the can of gray paint and prepared to place my fingers in it before pausing. On a second thought, I jumped to my pedes and trotted over to my berth. I lifted my Optimus plushie into my arms and returned to the desk. I sat it the seat, situated Optimus on my lap, and started painting. The painting was coming along rather well, even if it was a bit sloppy. Tall buildings rose from the ground, and the sky was gray with white and yellow speckles. I had painted the two moons in the sky, too.

"What _are_ you drawing?" Starscream asked, causing me to jolt in surprise. I looked up to see that he was peering over my shoulder, studying my picture.

"Iacon," I stated. Starscream snorted.

"Doubtful. This spire is far too tall, and this right here is supposed to be a dome, a circle, not a square," he corrected, pointing at the discrepancies as he explained them.

"It _is_ a circle. The square is the light from it," I explained as I continued my painting.

"The moons never appear side-by-side either. They are at a ninety degree angle from each other," he continued. I stopped painting to glare up at my guardian.

"I can draw whatever I want. Go away," I said, pouting slightly. Starscream snorted again as he moved back to his corner. I watched him for a klik before I went back to painting, grimacing a bit when the paint got into my finger joints.

"What the-! Moonstrike, come here!" Starscream snapped suddenly, yanking me to my pedes by my arm and thrusting me behind his body just as the door to my room opened. We both stared as we waited for somebot to come through, but nothing happened. The door simply shut after staying open for a few kliks. Instead of relaxing, though, Starscream's wings grew more rigid as he glanced around the room in a rather paranoid fashion.

"Star…?" I asked hesitantly. "Can I finish my picture now?"

"Show yourself, you cowardly fragger!" Starscream snapped. I gasped in horror at the swear word, and that gasp grew to a small shriek when the air a few feet in front of us shimmered.

"My, my, you are quiet the uncouth hypocrite, aren't you?" the red mech hummed with a smirk as he faded into existence in front of us. "As I recall, you did your fair share of cowardly acts, didn't you, Starscream?"

"Mute it, Autoscum!" Starscream snarled back. The mech's smirk grew, and his gaze turned to where I was poking my helm out from behind Starscream's large wing.

"Greetings, Moonstrike. I am Mirage, a mech sent by Optimus Prime himself to retrieve you from danger," Mirage said, giving me a short, formal bow. I blushed bright blue as the handsome mech straightened again.

"'Optimus Prime himself?' What is _she_ to Optimus Prime?" Starscream sneered. Mirage refocused his gaze on the seeker.

"That is no concern of yours. However, if you release her to my custody, I will, in turn, take you to your trinemates. I have no doubt that you miss their presence," Mirage assumed. I frowned at him and looked up at the back of Starscream's helm.

"Starscream, what's a 'trinemate?'" I asked.

"It doesn't matter. I am afraid that I cannot accept your offer, spybot," Starscream stated, though his voice was strained and had a hint of sadness to it.

"Why?" Mirage demanded.

"Because he is my slave!" a deep, infuriated voice roared from behind Mirage. The spybot howled in pain when a blaster shot hit his spinal strut. He collapsed in pain, revealing Shockwave's intimidating form, gun arm smoking as he let it drop to his side. "You Autobots simply do not know when it is time to quit. You must keep fighting until you have taken what is no longer yours," Shockwave snarled.

"Starscream, take her to the docking bay. We will settle this problem once and for all by taking her off planet. If the Autobots will not allow us to conquer this planet, then perhaps we should conquer that organic planet that Megatron failed to, the planet that was teeming with resources," Shockwave stated.

"You will die first!" a deep voice raged, and the next second, Shockwave was shot by a plasma blaster. The large purple mech staggered a bit, and I watched as my noble warrior tackled my opiluk. The two moved down the hall and out of my sight, seeing as I was still behind Starscream in my room. A bright yellowish-green mech moved into the room quickly, carefully watching us as he knelt beside Mirage. An extremely tall dark blue mech walked in and immediately moved toward us.

"Stay back, Soundwave," Starscream ordered in a rather frightened voice as he backed away, forcing me to back up as well.

"Siding with Shockwave: bad move. Thundercracker and Skywarp: ETA: point three five (.35) breems," the mech, now called Soundwave, stated in a creepily monotone voice.

"Primus, Soundwave, you're probably scaring the slag out of the poor femme." I whimpered when I heard yet another unfamiliar voice. However, the fear faded when he walked into view.

"Chem!" I exclaimed with a relieved grin. Chemical looked rather shocked that I called out to him. The red and orange mech trotted forward, allowing the door to close behind him, but Starscream continued to move backwards with every forward step the scientist took.

"Primus, I'm on her side. Let me see her," Chemical said in a waspish voice as he attempted to see around the seeker's impressive wingspan. "How are you doing, sparklet?"

"I'm okay, but Optimus attacked Opi! Somebot has to go tell Optimus to stop!" I exclaimed. Chem looked confused by this. Why was he confused? And _why was he just standing there?!_ My opi was getting attacked by my knight!

"That isn't your opiluk," the medic stated from his position beside Mirage. I frowned.

"Yes, he is," I argued. I was fairly certain I knew my own opiluk.

"No, he is an imposter," the medic asserted. I blinked in confusion.

"No, he's not…" I disagreed, but with less conviction.

"Of course, he is, Moon," Chem said after looking at the medic. "Ratchet would know, and why else would Optimus be attacking him?"

"He's trying to defend _you_," the yellow medic claimed.

"Ratchet…?" I repeated slowly, glancing back at the red and white medic plushie. Of course! It all made sense now… but wait… "Where's Jazz? Optimus said Jazz was coming to get me…"

"Come now, Moonstrike! Surely, you don't believe their lies!" Starscream finally interjected. I jumped in surprised, then I scowled.

"Opi ordered you to watch me… you're a faker, too!" I accused. It all made sense now! That was why Starscream wouldn't play with me like all my other caretakers did!

"Moonstrike, you—"

"No!" I shrieked angrily, stomping my foot in ire. "No, no, _no_!"

"Fine," Starscream growled, and the next klik, he had his arm wrapped around my neck and a gun to my helm. "You will do exactly as I say, or Moonstrike and the sparkling she holds will be terminated," the seeker threatened. Cold terror froze my frame, and I whimpered as I attempted to wriggle from Starscream's grasp.

"Stay still," he barked, and his attention returned to the bots who were glaring at him. "Now, if you listen to me, and do what I say without harming me, I'll let your glitchy little femme go without harm. Take one wrong move, and what's left of her processor will be decorating the wall," he snarled. I whimpered at the threat.

"Query: what are you?" Soundwave questioned. Starscream gave a bitter laugh.

"Couldn't get into my processor, huh? I'm a guaranteed slave. Shockwave has many of them. It wasn't difficult for him, either. All he had to do was build new frames, download our personalities into them, and take a trip to Vector Sigma. From there, he…" Starscream paused to shudder in revulsion. "Shockwave discovered a way to take a spark out of a frame, yet keep it wirelessly connected. The fragger has each of our sparks hidden somewhere, and the only way to figure out where is to hack into his computer."

"I just sent an order to Bumblebee and Hound to search for this file as they find files on Moonstrike," Ratchet claimed. "We can't stay around here anymore—"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by two more seekers striding into the room. They froze when they saw Starscream, and looks of disbelief and hope conquered their faceplates. The purple and black one was the first to talk.

"'Screamer? Is that really you?" he asked in a slightly awed voice.

"Skywarp! Thundercracker, what are you two doing here?" Starscream demanded.

"Helping out the prime. Starscream, why didn't you tell us you were back?" the navy blue seeker questioned. Starscream's turbines whined slightly.

"I only came online a few cycles ago," he stated curtly. I glanced up at him, then over at the seekers. I wriggled in Starscream's grasp, then froze when the two seekers across the room looked at me.

"Starscream, you need to release her and assist us in her rescue," Thundercracker stated. I frowned and looked up at Starscream as he glanced down at me.

"Why?" he demanded as he looked back at the other two.

"She's the prime's mate, Star. He's already assisting us in the rebuilding of Vos. Please, don't ruin our relationship with him," Thundercracker replied.

"He's rebuilding… Vos?" Starscream asked weakly as his hold on me loosened. I took the opportunity to escape, wrenching myself free of his grip and scampering over to Chemical. The neon-colored mech gently pulled me into his arms and ran a gentle scan over me before giving a small nod.

"Yes, and he appointed me as a planetary leader," Thundercracker replied.

"And Skywarp?" Starscream prompted. The black jet grinned.

"I help transport materials to building spots. It's a hard job, but I like it," the jet stated.

"But we still have energon problems. Bots don't want to work for their fuel because they got so used to receiving it for free during the war, so we have bots that are beginning to rebel," Thundercracker stated.

"And we need somebot that is willing to help Optimus Prime while being firm with everybot," Skywarp added.

"Hound and Bumblebee have gotten all the files. We need to leave now," Ratchet stated suddenly. Skywarp grinned.

"This is my part. Everybot gather in," he ordered.

"What about Optimus?" I exclaimed, suddenly coming into the conversation that I didn't really understand.

"He'll be fine. I'm coming straight back once you're safe," Skywarp stated as he watched Ratchet lifted Mirage carefully and carried him over to our huddle. Chem still held me, and the mechs surrounding me all had a hand on the shoulder of another. "Okay, mechs and femmes, hold onto your helms!"

I gasped at the weightless feeling that surrounded me. Chem's arms tightened around me, and I burrowed my faceplates into his chest as colors blurred around us. What was actually kliks felt like vorns, and the colors suddenly straightened and grew sharp. I glanced around from the safety of Chemical's arms and frowned at the gray metal walls of a medical bay.

"Okay, anybot not injured or a medic, get!" Ratchet bellowed immediately. I started to leave, but Chemical held me firmly.

"You have to stay here for now, Moon. We have a special medic that's going to watch over you and make sure that bad mech didn't do anything to your processor, okay?" Chemical informed me. I frowned as I nodded.

"Okay…" I said quietly. Chemical smiled and looked up at an unfamiliar red mech as he approached us.

"Moonstrike, this is Perceptor, and he's gonna take care of you," Chemical introduced.

"Hi," I mumbled shyly.

"Salutations," the mech replied. I blinked in confusion at the word, but he didn't stop there. "If you would move over there and occupy one of those berths, I will induce stasis and examine your programming to ensure there are no inefficiencies."

"… What?" I asked with a frown.

"He wants you to lay on a berth and go into recharge," Chemical translated as he led me over to said berth.

"Oh… why didn't he just say so?" I asked as I hopped onto the berth and laid back.

"He's a bit strange," Chemical confided in a whisper, causing me to giggle. He smiled down at me as I settled and dimmed my optics. All that stress from the earlier situation had taken its toll on my systems, and I was fully prepared to fall offline.

"Hey, Chem…? Can you have that jet get my picture for Optimus?" I requested. Chemical chuckled as I offlined my optics.

"Of course. Rest well, and I will see you when you next online," Chemical promised, and with that promised saved in my processor, I let myself drift offline.

* * *

><p><strong>Leonixon:<strong> Lol. Yeah, the Jazz-man doesn't have to put too much effort into his job. He is just that awesome. :D I mean, he's — Jazz! What the frag are you doing over there?! We had this conversation, mech! No flirting with strangers! Primus, what if that femme had cosmic rust or something? He's unbearably hard to control, too.

Jazz: Lun'r Mist! I jus' met this _fine_ femme. You should write 'er into a one-shot with meh.

Primus help me. -_-

**Noella50881:** Lol. I'm kinda learning by trial and error. I've only had one pissed-off customer, though. Most of them are pretty nice. :)

**Angel897:** :\ It wasn't Jazz, but she still got free. :D

**D-RockxIronhideForever:** I name my tech, but I have yet to use a name from the TF canon. Too confusing. My Solstice will be named Jazz when I buy him, though :3

Have you caught the recent episodes? They're on Youtube. You just have to search "Tranformers prime season (#) episode (#)" Deystarrkid (Or something to that effect) normally has the new episode uploaded the day after it airs (which is a new episode every Friday) :) I like Jack and Rafael, but I hate Fowler, miko, and occasionally, Jack's mom.

Lol. Love how you summarized the chapter XD All will be well next chapter, though. :) Sorta.

**Chistarpax:** Well, you shall know fairly soon :)

Half of next chapter is devoted to Shockwave's demise, so you need not worry about that account. :D And she _does_ recognize him, a little bit, anyways.

Oh, hey! So what state are you in? It'd be so funny if we actually worked at the same Walmart XD

**Fanmanbookman:** It's a bit later than I wanted to get it out, but here it is! :D

**KnockOut'sFanGirl221:** Lol. I wouldn't mind Sides and Jazz staring at meh. *poses like a model*

0.0! Say what? Very well, I will counter your Shockwave attack with my **SOUNDWAVE MIND CONTROL!** Fear Soundwave's awesome mind-power! ~0.0~ LOL

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Just a bit, but what's the fun of a normal story ;)

**Transformers girl 1234:** Glad you like it! Only a few more chapters left, though :(

**WaterEra:** Thank you for the compliments! It was fascinating to read your ponderings, too. I love reviews like this, the sincerely thought out ones. I hate that I can't really give a long reply, cuz most everything was addressed in this chap. I mean, you still have to worry about Moon's condition and the sparkling, but her capture is all done. :\ Hope you liked it, though :)

**Iceshadow911247:** lol. My sister-in-law asked me about that. We were watching TF2, and I commented on the hatchlings, and she asked if Transformers even had babies, and I made a mistake and said yes. She gave me a look and said, "How? They don't… have those… parts, right? How would you _know_ they had those parts?!" So I said, "When a mech and a femme love each other very much, they go to Vector Sigma and a cyberhawk brings them a sparkling." XD

And… Yes, but no. We should not judge, but we can't sit back quietly about it either. If you don't say anything, then you are saying it's okay, and sin isn't okay. Kay isn't a Christian, and I pray every day that he will become one, but you see, he doesn't want to be heterosexual because his mom was abusive and all his girlfriends were total dragons, so he doesn't trust females in a romantic relationship. But I can't just sit back. That's tolerance, and in reality, God doesn't accept tolerance. He said in the Bible, "Because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I will spit you out of my mouth!" God doesn't like it when we sit back and do nothing, but in our world, it's impossible to do something by yourself, and if you try to stand up, you get completely shut down. Sad, right? But the big thing with tolerance is that when one generation tolerates something, the next accepts it, and what one generation accepts, the next worships. :\ So we don't judge, but we still point out what is wrong. Paul said that. :)

**Link's Rose:** I have fun writing younglings. I've decided to put a youngling in my next fic. Glad you like the fic, and hope you enjoy it until the end :) Aaaaannnddd… I don't think I have… I honestly couldn't say… I've read too many fics in the past couple of months. :)

**Trapezoidal:** Those twins are awful crafty ;) At least Ratchet didn't have to fight in the outside battle, though I think he would have been a marvelous distraction XD

Ooh ooh ooh! Yes, try writing one! Dreamscapes are _sooooo_ much fun to write! It's a perfect place to dump negative emotions and you can do whatever you want. Since it's a dream, it doesn't necessarily have to have anything to do with the plot :D So much fun!

… Darlin', you are _really_ overthinking this. Just hit the "I believe" button and keep reading :) It was interesting thought, though. In reality, a spark is made for a specific body. Anything smaller than her current frame would be run ragged by the strength of her spark, and her spark wouldn't be strong enough to power a bigger body. It not that her adult body has more systems or anything than a youngling body, it's the size and power of her spark. An adult spark is stronger than a youngling spark because it has matured. Catch my drift? :) And he doesn't want to play with her programming too much because he has developed a creepy fondness for her over the time she worked for him. Hope that helped. :D

**Mrs. Knockout:** Lol. We'll see. I don't have all of next chapter planned, so… :) We'll see.

**CatGirlFireflare: **Glad you like it! :D

**Naughtia: **Lol. Could you imagine the Hatchet going into battle like that? XD

**Lunar Radioactive:** :) I know, right! X3 I luv my two main charies!

**Luna Prime- Awesomeness:** Lol. Too bad it was in the wrong place, though. He liked her at first, but now he had Streamshot. :) The four types of marriage was just because on of my fans had requested I write a one-shot with them as the coupling.

That was highly ironic… So did you yell at the screen last Friday…? I did when I watched the episode on Saturday XD

**SilverNeira: **:) Yup. Optimus will make a marvelous daddy to a little femme, don't you think? X3 Oh, one-shot! BTW, Starscream getting confronted by his trine was for you. Originally, Mirage was going to kill him and basically botnap Moon… :) And Meggie's fine. You'll see him again next chapter.

**Guest: **Not a timely update, but at least I got it out before a month passed :)

**Autobot-Bre: **Lol. Poor Ratchet never saw it coming. *sigh* what can you do to fight the terror twins?

**Lady Minuialwen: **=D

**DarkdemonRaYven: **XD I can't decide whether to agree with you or feel bad and defend Shockwave. *snort* "No wonder nobot wants to bond with him. Freaking psychopath." I almost died laughing when I read that. XD

**Jeanette Hetfield:** Yeeeaaahhh… 'Wavey needs a psychologist… or ten… Shockwave will get his next chapter, though. Promise.

Lol. I think her dolls are probably as big as a medium sized couch… maybe a bit bigger…

I actually love the TF:Prime: Starscream. He's graceful, snarky, and actually kind of a good leader. I just hate his mouth. I would love him if I didn't think the bottom half of his mouth was going to fall off everytime he spoke…

**Kellie Witwicky: **Yeah. She has a DA account, too. I'm worried that she quit our site. Well, perhaps "quit" isn't the right word. I'm worried life became too busy. :(

**Tori-Da-Mutt:** :) Glad you like it! Hope you like it until the end. :D

**Thebookfan09: **Lol. Innocent fluff is okay to laugh at. I was giggling through the conversation as I wrote it. She's just so darn naïve! *sigh* poor Moon.

* * *

><p>Okay. That seemed super anti-climatic to me, however! Optimus's big battle will be in the next chapter, and yes, his arm is still in a sling. So. It will be glorious. Two more chapters!<p> 


	48. Fights and Recoveries

1) The teaser and first chapter of my next fic have been posted.

2) The trip where the Autobots retrieve the hidden sparks of Starscream and the others will not be written in this. If one of y'all wanna write a one-shot about it, go ahead, but PM me so that I can read it when you finish it :)

3) The battle was shorter than I planned it to be, but the effect should still be the same.

4) I need y'all to do me a favor. If there is anything in here that you think I could improve upon, please let me know via review. :)

* * *

><p>Chapter 48<p>

Fights and Recoveries

3,072 words

* * *

><p>It was the moment Optimus had been waiting for, a fight he had been raring to fight. The second Shockwave had appeared in his line of vision, Optimus lifted his ion blaster from the subspace unit that held it to his backstrut and aimed. Sadly, Chemical beat him to the punch, firing his plasma blaster at the one-opticed mech standing in front of the open doorway. Shockwave staggered to the side and turned to face the approaching threat just in time for Optimus to tackle him. Shockwave grunted as they fell into a heap, rolling a bit as they fought for the upper hand in the fight. Optimus, who had dropped his blaster during the tussle, worked valiantly to injure the mech who battled him, despite the slight pain in his recently reattached arm.<p>

"You Autobots simply cannot learn to leave well enough alone, can you?" Shockwave snarled as they grappled. Optimus grunted in anger as he worked his right arm free and pulled his energon hooks from subspace. The sharp, serrated hook caught Shockwave's left hand, and a second later, the hand was detached from the arm and flung to the side. Shockwave growled in pain and anger as he landed a punch to Optimus's helm. Optimus grunted as he rolled, causing Shockwave to lose balance. The scientist used the momentum of the roll to rise to his pedes and pulled a ray gun from subspace. He aimed and fired at the prime, hoping to make this battle short. Optimus's engine growled as he rolled to avoid the shots, rising to his pedes as he did so.

"It will take more than that to take _me_ down, Shockwave," Optimus roared as he replaced his energon hook with an energon blade. Without hesitation, Optimus charged Shockwave again, who replaced his ray gun with an energon sword. The two collided with an almighty crash. The sounds of energon swords colliding filled the hallway, and sparks flew from the swords every time they met. It was a battle the prime knew he would not lose. Shockwave had nearly taken everything from him: his mate and his unborn sparkling. It was something that even Optimus Prime couldn't forgive, and he made sure to let his anger show in his movements.

"My, my, Optimus. You are quite aggressive this cycle. Could it be because you didn't want to see one of you little Autobots turned into my pet?" Shockwave taunted as he dodged Optimus's sword. Optimus growled angrily as he slashed at the mech. Shockwave grinned as he narrowly avoided the sword and danced back a few steps in an attempt to get back on the offensive. Optimus didn't give him the chance, though. He followed Shockwave's movements doggedly, determined to kill the threat to his family unit once and for all.

"Come now, Prime. Are you not supposed to be the merciful one?" Shockwave questioned as he dodged another attack. Optimus was about to reply when he was shot from behind by a pellet rifle. He grunted in discomfort as the iron pellet lodged under his shoulder plating. Shockwave gave a dark chuckle as he dodged the prime's sword again. "You can hold your own against me, but can you fight me _and_ my drones at the same time?"

"Maybe not by himself, but where there's one Autobot, there's always more!" a familiar voice cheered. Optimus grinned as he listened to Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tear into the drones that had been attacking him. There was no doubt in his mind that they were doing a good job, and if the shouts and yells were anything to judge by, they were having fun at it, too. Optimus didn't allow himself to get distracted, though. His battle with the walking computer continued, moving steadily down the hall as Shockwave was forced to remain defensive.

"You cannot keep this up forever, Prime," Shockwave growled. Then, he let out an audio-piercing screech when an energon dagger flew into his optic. Optimus paused to watch the mech reel back before he turned to face the mech that through the dagger.

"Springer," Optimus said grimly as he turned his attention back to the mech that was clawing at his injured optic. "You had a chance at peace," Optimus growled as he stabbed his sword into Shockwave's leg. The mech went down to a knee with a growl of pain. "You could have lived without any trouble, but you simply _had_ to take her, didn't you?"

"She belongs to me. She was mine a long time ago, before you even knew she existed," Shockwave rumbled.

"My mate belongs to none but me," Optimus barked, swinging his arm to cut off the hand that held Shockwave's blade. The mech roared in pained anger. "First, your faction steals my Elita. Then you see fit to steal my Moonstrike? That is unacceptable," Optimus seethed, cutting off the other hand. Shockwave growled again.

"I captured Moonstrike before you knew her. I programmed her. I saved her life. I did _everything_!" Shockwave snapped.

"That you did, and you will lose your spark for that. Enjoy your time in the Pit," Optimus growled, and he plunged the sword into Shockwave's chest. The mech screamed at the pain of his spark being pierced and convulsed as his systems fought to stay online. Optimus twisted the sword brutally before yanking it out again. Shockwave was silent as his corpse collapsed all the way to the ground, lying limply as half-processed energon leaked from the unnatural hole in his chest.

"It is over," Optimus breathed after a few kliks as he placed his energon blade back into his subspace. Springer gave a disgusted huff as he moved to stand beside Prime.

"What do we do with the body?" he questioned with a scowl. Optimus gave a low growl as he studied the mech that had caused him and his beloved so much pain and worry.

"Throw him in the slag pits, and make sure his frame is completely melted down. I do not there to be even the smallest chance that he may return to the land of the living. He will wander the Pit for the rest of eternity," Optimus snarled.

"Sounds like a plan. Why don't you head back to HQ? Me and Magnus can take care of everything here," Springer stated. "Comm me when you find out how Moon's doing." Optimus's optics brightened in surprise.

"You support our union?" he asked. Springer grimaced, but nodded.

"I won't spend my life arguing with my creation over her choice in mechs, but understand this, Optimus: if you hurt her, you will have a whole contingent of Wreckers on your aft before you can even process it. Compute?" Optimus stared at Springer for a few kliks, not quite sure whether he should roll his optics or take a cautionary step away from his creator-in-bond, before a gentle smile rose to his lips.

"Compute. Make sure you gather up every mech that died previously to this battle. Apparently, there is more to these mechs than meets the optic," Optimus stated grimly.

"Gotcha. Now, get going." Optimus grinned behind his battle mask at the order, but transformed, nonetheless, and sped down the hall, making his way to the other half of his spark and the sparkling it protected.

* * *

><p>"Okay, my main mechs, the Jazz-man is back, an' I wanna know wha' the slag 'appen'd!" Jazz snapped as he entered the communications room.<p>

"Yo, mech!" Blaster called out in reply. "Ya missed the whole thing! Prime an' a whole bunch a' othuh mechs went ta storm Shockwave's lab! Moon's in the medbay righ' now."

By the time Blaster finished the last sentence, Jazz had bolted from the room. He couldn't deny that he was likely running to his own death, but fear for his friend and bondmate of the prime pushed him forward. The waiting room was nearly empty, something that didn't surprise Jazz in the slightest. He had no doubts that nearly every mech went with Optimus to lay siege to Shockwave's lab, and every other mech was probably on duty covering for the mechs that were at battle. The only mechs in the room were the three members of the Royal Command Trine. Jazz stiffened and had to double-take as he gazed at the revived Starscream.

"Didn't you get killed in Chicago?" Jazz asked, tactful as ever. The three jets all sent the solstice looks of equal irritation and disgust.

"Didn't you get killed in Mission City?" Starscream shot back. Jazz shrugged.

"Touché. Prime brought meh back with the Matrix. Wha's yo'r story?"

"Shockwave." It was the only explanation offered and the only explanation needed. Jazz grimaced and decided to change the topic. He turned his gaze to the medbay doors as he spoke.

"Wha's the story on Moon's c'ndition?"

"That Wrecker scientist, Perceptor, is running a diagnostic on her. Ratchet is not allowing any bots inside," Thundercracker explained. Jazz sent the jet a skeptical glance.

"Obviously, ya 'aven't been tryin' hard enough," he stated, then without any hesitation, he strode to the medbay door and walked inside. The three jets stood in awed silence, waiting for something to happen. They had attempted that earlier in the form of Skywarp transporting into the bay, and Ratchet had thrown every sort of object at the poor mech before he finally warped back to his trine. For the first few kliks, they thought Jazz had been accepted into the medbay, then they heard it…

"_Jazz! What the slag are you doing in here, you slaggin fragger?! Perceptor is doing delicate work that_ _you are disturbing!"_ Ratchet bellowed. This roar of the untamed Ratchet was accentuated by the sound of thrown metal objects, shouts of pain, and other such sounds that people usually associated with torture chamber. Was that the sound of a _buzzsaw_?

* * *

><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ratchet! I'm jus' here ta check on mah femme, Streamshot," Jazz defended, holding his hands up in surrender. Ratchet scowled at the smaller mech.<p>

"You can't _lie_ to me, fragger! Now, return to your quarters or your office until Prowl returns to debrief you," Ratchet ordered as he turned back to where Moonstrike was offline on a berth. The silver mech didn't move, and his face dropped when he focused on the femme.

"How's she doing?" he asked seriously. Ratchet glanced up at him before looking back down at the femme he was examining.

"Physically, she appears to be perfectly fine. Starscream apparently noticed that she was carrying a spark and raised how many energon rations she was given to help her frame support the life. The sparkling itself is perfectly fine. A few fluctuations, but that is normal at this stage. Her bond with the sparkling has already developed, but Optimus will need to bond with the sparkling himself whenever—"

"Whoa, mech!" Jazz interrupted. "I do _not_ want to know about my commander's… personal life!" Ratchet glared at him in irritation.

"You asked," he huffed as he started a deeper scan on the femme. There were a few kliks of silence as Jazz glanced around at the other bots in the room. Red Alert was two berths down, hands working on Mirage's back, and First Aid was checking over an offline Streamshot. Soundwave stood off to the side, holding two rotary blades, and Chemical stood beside him, his optics locked on the femme on the berth. Perceptor was by Moonstrike helm and was apparently linked up to it via hardline. He turned his attention back to Ratchet and spoke again.

"And mentally?" Ratchet stiffened, then slumped a bit, as if he carried a heavy weight.

"We're doing all we can. Shockwave is a brilliant mech and a genius programmer. He did a lot of damage, too," Ratchet stated blankly. Jazz frowned, not liking where this was going.

"What… what was damaged?" he asked.

"Mostly memories. She's lost a few short-term and at least half of her long-term."

"So… she will remember us?" Jazz asked, feeling hope rise. It had been his greatest fear that Moonstrike would hold no memories of them.

"More than likely. The longer it has been since she saw you, the smaller the chance she will remember you," Ratchet confirmed. "But… understand that even then, some of her short-term memories were deleted as well."

"I see. And—" Jazz's question was cut off by the sound of the medbay doors hissing open and heavy footsteps walking in.

"Ratchet, report," Optimus ordered as he stopped by the foot of his sparkmate's berth. His optics were dim, and he was leaking energon from multiple places.

"Fraggit, Prime! Get on that berth! Now!" Ratchet snapped, grabbing one of his leader's arms and dragging him to a berth.

"Ratchet, I am fine. Moonstrike is—"

"Fine," Ratchet interrupted. "We're working on repairing the coding as we go. Some of her memories were out of order; some of them deleted. Though Shockwave made the youngling coding very strong, it has its weak points. She still has most of her memories of her younglinghood, and her memories of her past were transposing themselves over the current happenings. She still saw Shockwave as her mech creator, but she knew that her femme creator was a pink two-wheeler. She still held Wrecker ideals on family units and such. Because he wasn't more thorough, deleting that coding is remarkably easy. The only difficulty we are having is putting what memories she has left in order."

"I see… and the sparkling?" Optimus asked with hope and worry in his optics. Ratchet smiled.

"Perfectly healthy. She has already created a bond with the little spark, which is something you will need to do as well," Ratchet replied as he started welding the prime's wounds.

"Good. When will I be able to speak with her?"

"Whenever she wakes. Now, you need rest, so…" Ratchet trailed off as he injected the larger mech with sedatives.

**::Optimus to Springer. Moonstrike is doing fine:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Very good. We're still cleaning up over here. I'll drop by when we get back:: -Springer**

Optimus was about to reply, but at that moment, the drugs kicked in, and he fell into recharge.

* * *

><p>I groaned as I onlined, trying to ignore the pounding processor-ache I had. Primus! What had I <em>done<em> last cycle? I couldn't recall going to any "happening" parties that Streamshot was so fond of, and I couldn't remember if I had any high-grade. I grunted in pain as I sifted through my bonds. Optimus would know.

**/Love. Happy. Danni!/**

I grinned as I felt the uncontained love from my oldest creation. I flicked my optics on and looked down at my chest. Sure enough, there was a bundle of black wires and metal laying there, joyful red optics locked on mine. When he realized that I was awake, he gave a squeal of utter exuberance and tackled my face. I smiled as I placed a hand on the sparkling's back, allowing the mech to nuzzle his faceplates against mine.

"Now, what are you doing in here?" I asked in a teasing voice as I sat up. I gently lifted the mechling from my face and cuddled him to my chest as I looked around the medbay. There was no medibots in there, and the lights were dimmed, meaning it was a lunar cycle. I could see that all five berths were occupied by injured mechs, and the last one held my best friend, Streamshot. I debated walking over to her, but decided, instead, to move to my mate. With that plan in mind, I swung my legs over the side of the berth and hopped to my feet. I was not expecting my legs to give out. I twisted to the floor with an almighty crash, carefully twisting so that I landed on my back rather than landing on Megatron.

"What the slag?!" an irritable voice rang out from three berths down. I groaned in pain, having hit my helm on the floor. Suddenly, the throbbing processor-ache was sending piercing pain through my helm, making my body feel weak and limp. I held Megatron with special care, rubbing his back as he clicked, ready to start crying. The impact had surprised him, and little Megatron really didn't like being surprised.

"Hey! You okay?" a different voice rang out from a four berths down. I whimpered in reply. "Frag," that same voice said flatly.

"What the slag is going on in here!?" Ratchet snapped as he entered the bay in all his chartreuse glory.

"Help," I whimpered. Ratchet was immediately by my side, lifting me into his arms with care as he scanning me gently as he moved to place me back on my berth. "No. Optimus," I begged. Ratchet glanced over at the Autobot leader, who was still in deep recharge, despite the loud crash that had woken every other bot in the room that hadn't been in stasis-lock.

"How the frag did he sleep through that?" Ratchet questioned. I shrugged. I wasn't quite sure myself. "Well, you can recharge with him as long as you actually recharge." I gave him a dark look.

"Yeah, Ratchet, because I'm going to interface with him in front of all these injured mechs," I snapped, irritable because of the processor-ache. Ratchet rolled his optics as he laid me down beside my mate. Optimus, as if by instinct, rolled over to face me and gathered me into his arms, cuddling me close, and by extension, Megatron. I gingerly opened my chest plates and allowed Megatron to crawl into my hold before I cuddled back. I felt Megatron settled down by my spark chamber and felt him lightly nuzzle it with a sparkling's affection. I glanced up at Ratchet and saw that he was studying us with a weird look.

"Your helm will hurt for a few more cycles, but otherwise, you should be alright to leave next solar cycle," he stated. Then he turned and left the way he came. I huffed a breath before nuzzling my faceplates into my mate's chestplating. I hummed lightly as I pressed an audio amplifier against his chest. His spark thrummed strongly, singing the bass harmony to our sparksong while mine provided the soprano. I gently kissed his chestplates over his spark. With a small sigh of contentment, I allowed my systems to slow into recharge, feeling perfectly safe in the arms of my sleeping warrior.

* * *

><p><strong>Kae88:<strong> Lol. Yeah, I was gonna do something big like that, but in the end… well, I just wanna get this fic finished so that I can finally start on my next one. :) Thanks for the review, and I love your Optimus/Mikaela fic, which is saying something, cuz I don't usually read fics with lemons in them. You wrote yours superbly.

**Lovely Rain Dancer:** It would be hilarious to see a couch-size doll. Of course, if there was a couch-size doll, then there must be something large enough to play with said doll… 0.o

**Noella50881:** :) Sad, but true, right? I've gotten used to just telling people "no." :\ I hate having to say "no."

**Link's Rose:** Yup. Moon's all better! Memories back and a Megatron sparkling on her chassis. :] Livin' the life.

**SilverNeira:** Lol. I couldn't just kill poor Screamer. I love the Command Trine too much. ^^'' And she's all better now! Everything returns to how it should be. Sorta.

**Kellie Witwicky:** She updated! :D Teehee. No, I wrote it so that y'all could giggle at it. I could imagine little Moonstrike wanting to play dolls with him and him inching away in horror at him roleplaying as Optimus, her noble knight, who protects her from all evil and apparently got her sparked up… XD

**LesleyM:** Have you tried Youtube? Look up "Transformers Prime season 1 episode 1" Normally, there's at least two people who uploaded the episode. Deystarrkidszone normally uploads the episode the day after it is aired… :)

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** Lol. If they're normal, then they're Mary-sue, no?

**Transformers girl 1234:** :) Well, only one more chap. :'( Can't believe it's over. A year of my life… Sigh.

**Angel 897:** Yup, yup! She's free and safe! Die, evil Shockwave! Die!

**KnockOut'sFanGirl221:** neh, the younger twins don't creep me out as much as they annoy me… Irritating fraggers.

Mwuahahahaha! Bend under my awesome power! You shall—Jazz! What the frag are you doing?!

Jazz: Starin'.…

… o.o … Soundwave… help!

**Guest:** XD No, I love Percy, too. I am allowed to utilize my extensive vocabulary whenever I contemplate how his dialogue must be written out. ;) Lol. The glorious battle wasn't as glorious as I had planned. ^^'' I wasn't able to write it as well as I had planned… Aww. :( I know what you mean. I'm not ready to let Moonstrike, Chemical, and Streamshot go, either. *sigh* But all good things must eventually come to an end. However, when one thing ends, another normally starts up. :)

**Fanmanbookman:** Glad you liked. The final battle could've been better, but it's okay! We're almost to the finish line!

**Lunar Radioactive:** Lol! Yup! Way to go, Autobots! XD

**Iceshadow911247:** Lol. I don't get into it whenever people ask for specifics ;) Jazzy will be in the next fic lots ;)

**Naughtia: **Yup! She's all healthy now. :) And Screamer's gonna be a happy bot :D You'll see next chapter.

**CatGirlFireflare:** Lol. She's safe now, and Screams will be too. :) No leaving the poor Seeker hanging.

**PaDiYaFLAME:** Yup, she's safe now, and life can move on. XD I'm handcuffed to the condiment twins. XD It sucks when we get brigged. -_-;

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** I was the same. I started laughing so hard, and my mom was like, "Wanna share what you find so funny?" and I was just like, "No, mom, you wouldn't get it."

The thing about Starscream's spark was a last-minute thing. I needed there to be a reason he stayed with Shockwave when he is easily powerful enough to overtake him. Plus, Shockwave wouldn't bring back a scheming mech like Screamer without having a way to control him. So… last-minute twist :D

**Leonixon:** Sigh. So we both have the same problems when it comes to unruly femme's mechs.

If you wanna write a follow-up to our one-shot, you're more than welcome to. :) More power to ya ;)

**Luna Uchiha666: **It's cuz writing the tense stuff is funs :P

**Lady Minuialwen:** Thanks :)

**Shadowolf27:** Lol. Yeah, anyone who stopped reading for any reason would have a lot to catch up on. You know, I made her a 'copter bot simply because I hate beast-formers? Ravage and the cassettes, I can handle, but the Predacons and Maximals, ect… I can't stand them. :)

Screamer getting his spark back will be touched upon in the later chapter, but it's not going to be specific. :\ Too much work and time.

I'm very glad you liked the fic, especially after you've been gone from it so long. :D I hope you enjoy the last chapters :)

**Jeannette Hetfield: **I love Jazz. Just wait til the next fic! He is a main charrie! :D

Well, saying "I cannot wait until Optimus slags the frag out of Shockwave" is far better than saying "I cannot wait until Optimus frags the slag out of Shockwave." XD

Yeah, every Cybertronian cuss word has some sort of human equivalent, though the Cybertronian words apparently aren't as strong as our words… *shrug*

**Thebookfan09:** XD Fabulous! Now, we can chat over what happens in current episodes! It will be glorious! :D Very glad you liked the chapter, btw. Your compliments make me smile.

XD Yeah, everybot's a critic, right? Screamer just _had_ to rain on her parade. Lol. I'm glad you were worried for Mirage, but he's okay now. :)

Of course not! A manly man like you would _never_ giggle. You would probably lose your dignity for that… 0.0

**D-RockxIronhideForever: **Yeah, my transfan friends normally keep their mouths shut until the day after. Come eleven o'clock of the night after it's aired, I'm free game, so I have to make sure I watch the episode the second it's uploaded.

D: I know, I almost cried when I wrote that chapter. Poor seekers. And I love the Command Trine so much. But, yeah, everything will work out well in the end. I wouldn't kill Screamer after bringing him back. I'm pretty sure my fans would kill me if I did…

I don't mind Arcee too much. I hate that she acts so manly and imposes her feelings on others, but otherwise, I don't really mind her. I think it would be awesome and angsty if Smokescreen started getting closer to Jack, though. That would be amazing, and Arcee would be so angry. XD Gotta love the angst.

* * *

><p>Everybot go read my new fic! It's called <strong><em>A Spark's<em> Haven.** Review!


	49. Healing

1) Sorry, friends. I was failing history, so I needed to focus on that. Then I got grounded. Then one of my... frienimies moved back, so I had to deal with a few things... So crazy couple of days. Good thing, though, is that I'm not failing history anymore! :D

2) Next chapter will be the last. :) Everything ends in chapter 50! :D

3) Enjoy

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><p>Chapter 49<p>

Healing

5,599 words

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><p>Optimus onlined to the sound of irritable shouting, laughs, and other such noises that were common in the Autobot medbay. Ratchet was yelling at somebot, who was apparently yelling back, and in the background, Jazz's distinguishable howls of laughter were heard. Optimus grunted quietly as he struggled past the remnants of the sedatives Ratchet had sent through his systems when he returned from the battle. Movement in his arms made him pause in his endeavor. His optics dimly lit, and he stared down dumbly at the femme wrapped in his uninjured arm. Her body was limp and cuddled closely to his chest. Her systems whirred silently in recharge, and Optimus couldn't fight back the surge of fear that rushed through him as he gazed at her.<p>

"Ratchet!" he called curtly. The medic paused in his rant and immediately rushed to the prime's side.

"Fraggit, you're not supposed to be online for another joor," the CMO growled as he fiddled with the energon drip that was connected to his main energon line.

"Moonstrike," Optimus breathed, glancing down at him mate. He fought to form words, words that he wasn't completely sure he wanted to speak aloud. Was she okay? She _was_ just recharging, right? _Was_ it recharge, or was she actually in a medically induced stasis? Could she remember? Had she forgotten everything, everyone?

"She's fine. Everything has been repaired, but Perceptor, Chemical, and Soundwave will be by later this cycle to make sure. Now, recharge,' Ratchet stated, easily soothing the prime's fears with his gruff words.

"Megatron," Optimus persisted, ignoring the medic's order. Ratchet huffed irritably.

"In his danniluk's sparkling hold, recharging like _you're_ supposed to be," he said grouchily.

"The newspark—"

"Is perfectly fine and will still be alive once you online again. Now, offline before I have to add more sedatives. Your family unit will be protected as you rest," Ratchet promised. Optimus vented lowly as he relaxed and turned his attention back to the femme in his arms. She was safe. She was safe, and she was in his arms—well, arm—again, where she was meant to be. His grip tightened as he cuddled his mate against his chest. Shockwave was offline and wouldn't be threatening his family unit again. With the reassurance that his mate was safe and healthy, Optimus allowed his optics to offline, and the sedative took back over.

"Fraggin stubborn prime," Ratchet muttered as he stalked back over to where Mirage was resting in a medically-induced stasis-lock.

"Can ya blame 'im?" Jazz asked from where he was perched on the edge on Streamshot's berth. The aforementioned femme frowned as she glanced over at the mech that held her best friend.

"How paranoid do you think he'll be once everything's said and done?" she questioned. Ratchet huffed irritably.

"Does it matter? They're both safe again, and Optimus will make sure Moonstrike and the sparklings remain safe," he stated.

"Spark_lings_? As in, more than one?" Streamshot asked with wide optics. "Why, that little fragger! She never said a thing!"

"Calm down, swee'spark. We didn' want word ta spread around," Jazz soothed.

"That she was sparked?" Streamshot asked incredulously. "Well, hopefully you at least told her creators." There was a beat of silence where the two officers exchanged uncertain glances. "You didn't say anything to them, did you?"

"We… have not had the time quite yet," Ratchet replied slowly.

"Well, then get on it," Streamshot snapped. She glanced over at the recharging couple with a mix of jealousy and happiness. "Is it a mech or a femme?"

"It's too soon to tell, I'm afraid. We should be able to tell in a few orns when the frame starts forming," Ratchet informed her. Streamshot gave a small squeal of excitement.

"I can't wait!"

* * *

><p>I vented softly as my systems slowly whirred to life. My sensors were the first thing that fully onlined, and I smiled at the warmth that surrounded me. My frame was perfectly relaxed, something I hadn't experienced in at least five solar cycles, and I was cuddled to a warm, strong chest. I could feel the gentle puffs of warm air as it filtered from his venting systems, and I could feel his arms wrapped around me. His thumb rubbed lazy circles on my shoulder plating while he sent loving pulses of reassurance through our bond. Was that woke me?<p>

"Are you ready to awaken, my love?" The words filtered over my audio amplifier with a rush of warm air, and my tail twitched lightly. I hummed lazily as the tip of my tail started flicking back and forth.

**/You cannot avoid the world forever/** The words sifted over the bond and into my very spark.

**/Perhaps not, but I sure as slag can try/** I responded. Optimus relaxed his hold a bit as I stretched my body languidly, onlining my optics to look at my true love, my warrior. Optimus was smiling down at me, affection and relief evident in his azure optics. His arm was tied to his chest by a large strip of material that wrapped around his body multiple times, and his paint was chipped, worn, and dusty.

Megatron stirred in my sparkling hold, effectively grabbing my attention, and I smiled as I opened my chest plates to retrieve him. I grinned as the desire Optimus sent through the bond as he blocked my chest from view with his arm and body. I sent him back my own shot of desire as I lifted the lethargic sparkling from his resting place.

"Megatron," I cooed in a sing-song voice. Small red optics flicked on dimly, and he gave a cute, tired smile. "My, my, we are tired, aren't we?" Megatron squeaked.

"Miss Danni," he purred. Optimus settled back down on the berth on his left side with a groan. His right shoulder was causing him pain, if the throbbing of my own shoulder was anything to go by. I frowned, nuzzling his chest as I settled Megatron over my spark. Optimus' engine rumbled powerfully as he pulled me close.

Then the door opened, and that peace shattered.

"Primus fraggit, Optimus! I slaggin told you to recharge!" Ratchet bellowed as he stepped over the threshold. It was at that moment that I realized that we were in the medbay. I glanced at the two berths on my side and saw Skywarp and Thundercracker pointedly looking away from us. I slowly sat up and looked over Optimus's frame. Starscream, Blackout, Mirage, and a mech by the name of Brawn were also pointedly looking away, each with an embarrassed or uncomfortable look on their faceplates. Jazz, who stood at the head of a sleeping Streamshot's berth, was openly and shamelessly staring at us, as were Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who both were sporting matching dents on their helms. I sank back into a laying position as a mortified feeling flooded through me. How awkward!

"Moonstrike was having a night terror, and I had to guide her through it last cycle," Optimus said evenly. Ratchet scowled as he stomped to my side. I felt him run a scan over my frame, pausing at my helm and chest before finishing it up.

"Everything has cleared out. Soundwave and Perceptor will be here in a few minutes to check your coding," Ratchet stated as he pulled out a datapad and started typing.

"A few what?" I asked, confused. Ratchet paused in his work as he glanced down at me, then his optics brightened slightly when he realized what he had said.

"My apologies. Alien language. They will be here in a fraction breem," he said dismissively. "Now, Brawn, let's see how those joints are setting."

I frowned as he walked away. What a strange language. I could admit that it sounded far smoother than my own language, but it sounded strange nonetheless. Optimus hummed quietly, drawing my attention back to him.

"It is good to know that you are safe again," he said gently. I smiled at him.

"I'm perfectly fine. I bet Ratchet will let me out once Soundwave and Perceptor give me the okay," I said with a cheerful smile. I looked down at the sparkling snoozing on my chassis as I continued. "I know you won't be out at the same time, but Megatron and I will visit you often and—"

"No!" Optimus interrupted curtly. I went silent as I turned hurt and confused optics back to my mate. I was shocked by what I saw. Optimus's optics were filled with fear, worry, and a sense of determination. "You will not leave this medbay until I am released as well."

I was silent for a few kliks as I processed what Optimus had just said, trying to figure out how best to react. My Wrecker pride was screaming for me to scream at him for daring to order me around, while my sparkmate patience told me to further question him. Finally, I decided to take the in-between road.

"What the slag is up with you? You can't order me around as if I was one of your troops," I snapped. Optimus's optics dimmed, and I frowned as I caught the fear and conflict sifting through his spark. "Optimus, what is this about?"

"You are safe with me," he said evenly, as if that explained everything, and in a way, it did. I glanced over at the two Seekers behind me and grimaced.

**/Expound/** I ordered gently over the bond. No need to air our dirty armor for all to see. Optimus vented heavily, and I could suddenly see how the last few cycles had worn him down. His optics were dimmed and exhausted, and combined with his faded and chipped paint, it made him look like a haggard old mech rather than the young leader that was still in the prime of his life.

**/I cannot protect you if you are not here. I have lost you far too many times, and I refuse to lose you again/ **I looked at him with a small smile.

**/You cannot always be around me, Optimus. There are some times that I will have to be by myself/** I said evenly.

**/Such as…?/**

**/Well… personal maintenance, for one…/**

**/ I doubt the mechs and femmes would mention our being in the same private washrack/ **Optimus purred. I blushed a bright blue at that statement and fumbled for a response.

**/Stop trying to distract me!/** I ordered, completely flustered.

**/Oh, I believe you are doing **_**that**_** without my assistance. After all, I only stated the obvious/**

**/Optimus, stop that!/**

**/Stop what?/** I had to hold back a giggle in the face of his innocent tone, a tone that was completely contradicted by his predatory and completely roguish smirk.

"Greetings, Ratchet! I have arrived to examine Moonstrike's central processor and coding," the cheerful voice of Perceptor filled the room. Optimus barely resisted the urge to groan in irritation at the sound of the perky mech, a mech that had conveniently interrupted where our conversation was headed.

"Good for you. She's over there," Ratchet said shortly. I glanced over my shoulder and smiled at the red Wrecker scientist.

"'Ceptor!" I chirped in greeting.

"Salutations, youngling. Your directive for this checkup is to remain still and calm. I will not harm you, and as long as you cooperate, this will proceed quickly," the microscope stated evenly. I nodded and turned my helm back to Optimus so that Perceptor had access to the panels on the back of my helm. Gentle fingers massaged the plating at my neck, and I allowed the plating there slide up, exposing a port for a link-up. I felt the plug slip in.

_"You'll let me go, right?" I asked suddenly, wanting to buy myself some time. Shockwave paused in his movement, studying me closely. He made a thoughtful noise before plugging the cable into a port at the base of my helm._

_"We shall see," he stated. "And we will also be talking about your new appearance."_

_I was about to reply, but he plugged the other end of the cable into the base of his own helm, and the pain that shot through my helm suddenly became the focal point of my being. A strangled screech ripped from my throat as my processor lifted up firewall after firewall in a useless attempt to keep the aggressive presence from getting into the important parts of my mind. The whole experience was harrowing. I could sense him ripping through the firewalls, searching through scattered, distant memories, sifting through coding. It was nothing like Perceptor's gentle prodding or Ratchet's gruff tenderness._

_Then it ended. Shockwave retreated from my mind with an angered yell. He pulled the plug from his helm, turned, and started punching the wall. I gave a cry of fear as I tried with all my might to get off the table, wanting nothing more than to flee the room before he could turn that wrath on my body, or worse, my mind. Shockwave froze when he heard my yell and slowly turned to face me. I couldn't hide my tears of fear or the small whimpers leaving my throat._

_"Calm down, my spark," Shockwave crooned, moving to the side of my berth. "There is no reason to fear me, my pet. You have finally returned home, and you will be treated with the utmost care," he promised me. "It is the Autobots that should fear me for taking what belongs to me." I cringed when he ran a single hand down my helm, cupping my cheek plate with that hand. "All will be well."_

_"Let me go, Shockwave. Please," I whimpered quietly, fighting back a frightened sob. What if he followed through? I would lose everything. Optimus, Megatron, my whole pack and Prime's. The newspark. A quiet sob escaped my throat at that thought. The spark would be safe at first, but what about when the symptoms of being sparked started to show? Shockwave would figure it out._

_"All is well, pet. All will be perfect," Shockwave crooned as he turned back to one of the cabinets and opened it up. When he turned back to me, he was brandishing a needle. My whimpers grew, as did my struggles as he turned to face me. "You will be perfect again," he murmured._

_**/Moonstrike!/**_

The yell of terror that shot through the bond pulled me back to reality, and I realized that I was screaming and writhing on the table as Soundwave, Ratchet, and Perceptor attempted to hold me down to keep me from harming myself. Optimus was standing beside the berth, a crying and frightened Megatron in his servos. I stopped my movements and curled into a ball as I sobbed, trying with all my spark to block out the world and all the terrifying things it held.

"Moonstrike," a gentle and familiar voice said on a sigh. Arms wrapped around me, and I was pulled to a chest. I felt like a sparkling, curling up and sobbing into the chest of a mech that had not held this role since I had been transferred into my last frame.

"Moonstrike, Shockwave is dead, and you are safe," my opiluk promised me as he gently rocked me back and forth. I shook my helm.

"He's not! He's still here! I can see him in my mind. He's haunting me. Make him go away, Opi! Make him go away!" I cried. I hated him. I hated Shockwave for doing this to me. Every time his face flashed behind my optics, I couldn't decipher my feelings for him. A colleague, a betrayer, a monster; yet at the same time, I had these unexplained feelings of longing and childish love for him, feelings that didn't belong.

"Time will heal you, lightspark, I promise. Time and the support of your sparkmate," Springer murmured as he slowly pushed me away so that he could look into my optics. "You are a Wrecker, and you will survive. You will live on strongly for that sparkling in your chamber, and for the sparkling your mate holds."

"I can't do this, Opi," I whimpered. "I can't live this way."

"Yes, my spark, you can. You will live and live happily. You will have the support of every Wrecker alive. You are not alone," Springer insisted with a small smirk. "Now, focus on your bonds as Perceptor finishes his tests."

"I…" I glanced over at Perceptor, who still held the plug in his hand, then I looked over at Optimus, who held my gaze carefully.

"I will not let anybot harm you," he promised. I nodded slowly and turned so that my back was to Perceptor. I focused solely on my bond with Optimus as the scientist plugged the cable back in. I whimpered a bit at the intrusion into my mind, but Optimus immediately pulled me into the bond, forcing me to pay attention to him. He whispered little nothings through the bond and accompanied those with silent promises. He told me that I would never be caught again, that I would never leave his side. He told me exactly what we would be doing once he left the medbay and how we would have to work around his healing arm. He told me how much he loved me, how worried he had been when he felt my pain and how terrified he had been when he discovered what the crazy mech had done to me. I listened in silence, simply letting those words wash over me with the affection he sent.

"Okay, Moonstrike. I have been able to confirm that all malicious coding has been completely eliminated from your processor," Perceptor stated cheerfully as he removed the plug. I onlined my optics to find that Optimus had moved back onto the berth and had pulled me into his lap, holding me gently to his chest. I looked over at Perceptor as he continued speaking. "Recharge lightly for the next couple of lunar cycles to keep away the night terrors. Once you are at fifty percent, drop into a full recharge for four complete lunar cycles and a complete solar cycle. This should recalibrate your systems and allow extra energy to go to the newspark. Make sure you take two cubes of mid-grade energon every half-joor to ensure that the spark gets sufficient energon."

"Okay, she knows the drill. Get out of my medbay," Ratchet cut in impatiently as he moved to stand over me. "I need to check Optimus's welds, so move, feline."

"I think I take offense to that," I claimed as I moved to stand up. Optimus's arm, however, completely constricted my movement, keeping me tight against his chest.

"You can take offense to whatever you please, but you are still in my way," the medic shot back.

"Well, I can't exactly move when my mate's arms are locking me in place," I hissed irritably. Ratchet frowned and looked down at the arm that was wrapped firmly around the small of my back, then he looked at Optimus, who seemed to be holding the countenance of a petulant sparkling.

"No," he stated firmly. "She will not be leaving my side," he added in a voice that brooked no argument. Well, it brooked no argument from any mech that wasn't Ratchet. A loud _clang_ rang through the bay, followed closely by a deep yelp.

"Don't you try to order me around in _my_ medbay, Orion Pax!" Ratchet snapped, waving his wrench around threateningly. Optimus growled lowly as he glared at his medic. He was much too tired for this and would rather be spending these precious kliks gazing at his mate, speaking with her, and cooing at the little mechling who was suddenly _very_ awake.

"I do not want her to leave, Ratchet," Prime repeated firmly. "She is safe here."

"I don't give a flying frag what you want, you—"

"Sparkling audios!" I cried as I pulled a blinking Megatron from Optimus' grasp. Ratchet scowled at me.

"This is _my_ medbay, and I will use whatever language _I_ want to," he snapped, waving a wrench in my face. Megatron twittered up at it, effectively grabbing our attention. He smiled as reached up his chubby arms for the wrench.

"Mine?" he squeaked as he strained to reach the Wrench of Doom.

"No, runt. This is mine," Ratchet retorted, putting his wrench back in subspace. Megatron frowned, dropping his hands against my chest as he stared up at Ratchet.

"No mine?" he asked sadly. Ratchet snorted.

"No." Megatron chirped pitifully and gave me a forlorn look.

"No mine," he said woefully. With that fact now known, the sparkling gave a weak whine before dropping his helm onto my chest dramatically. I snorted in amusement, gently nuzzling the little mechs helm with my own before looking back at Ratchet.

"Such a cruel, cruel mech," I teased with a grin. Ratchet rolled his optics with a scowl.

"Cruel or not, the fact remains that you need to move," Ratchet stated. I looked up at my mate, who frowned as he stared into my own optics. I could feel the insecurity through the bond, the rising fear that if I left the room, somebot would take me away. It was irrational and illogical, but the fear was there nonetheless.

"Optimus, I won't leave the room," I promised quietly. The mech vented heavily, but gently removed his arm from my waist. I glanced over at my opiluk, who was favoring his right leg, as I slid off the berth. "I will be right here, my love, speaking with Springer."

**/Do not leave my optic range/ **the noble prime ordered hesitantly. I smiled and nodded at him. I moved slowly to my opiluk's side. He had moved about four paces back to sit on the berth opposite my sparkmate's and was gazing rather intently at the prime.

"Opi?" I asked slowly.

"They told me Shockwave made you believe he was your mech creator," the Wrecker mech stated without preamble. I grimaced and nodded. Springer turned his gaze to me and stared, gazing at me as if for the first time. Abruptly, he reached out and yanked me up into his lap, holding me close. Megatron squeaked in disgruntled irritation as he cuddled into my chest in an attempt to get away from Springer. "Primus, you scared us," he breathed.

"Danni—" I began.

"Is with her sisters. The medbay is currently closed off to those who are uninjured. Ratchet was uncertain how you would react to a whole slew of Wreckers when you first awoke."

"Oh… Opi…what happened?" I asked hesitantly, glancing over at my mate, whose gaze was locked on Ratchet as they spoke. "What happened to him?"

"He thought he lost you," Opiluk stated bluntly. "He felt your pain when Shockwave invaded your mind, then he just… he said you disappeared from the bond. Moonstrike, I don't think there was a single lunar cycle that he didn't wake up from a nightmare. He was so worried you wouldn't ever remember."

"Primus…" I muttered as I gazed at the prime. His optics flicked to me and locked with my own. Anxiety seeped slowly into the bond.

**/Optimus?/**

**/Prowl has just informed me that one of the colonies has just rebelled against our new rule. The Wreckers are currently working to control the riot. Mirage and Ultra Magnus will be leaving in a few breems to see to it themselves./**

I frowned, knowing exactly what Optimus was thinking, what he was worrying about. **/They cannot hurt me, Optimus./**

**/No, they cannot, not while **_**I**_** guard you. Magnus will take care of the problem until I am healed enough to take care of it myself./**

**/And what of me and Megatron?/**

**/You will accompany me. You will not leave my side again./**

I whirred quietly as I watched Ratchet step away from the prime. I wasn't quite sure of what to make of this new situation. No matter what Optimus thought, it was impossible to be side-by-side every astrosecond of the day. Pit, wouldn't it be _more_ dangerous to take me to fight off a riot? I vented at the thought, not understanding. What had happened while I was away? Surely his nightmares hadn't caused this…

"Well, Prime, in my medical opinion, you'll live, lucky fragger you are. Moonstrike, you can recharge with him, but don't touch that arm, compute?" Ratchet said gruffly. I nodded quickly as I slid off Springer's lap and trotted back to Optimus. I glanced past him as I moved, catching sight of Streamshot again. She was still offline, but Jazz had turned his attention to her, and with my keen hearing, I could hear his deep voice singing an alien song to her. It was in that same language Ratchet had used, and I suddenly wished I could understand what the words meant.

**/He sings of his love for her. The words are difficult to translate into this language exactly, but I can give you a rough translation…/ **I smiled up at Optimus and nodded.

**/I'd like that./**

**/Very well. I cannot fight these emotions a moment more. Still I fear to let them continue. What started as companionship has grown stronger. I only wish I had the ability to show you. And even as I venture, I keep you in optic range. You are a source of light on a cold, dark lunar cycle, and I am getting closer than I ever thought I might./**

**/And he sings that for her… Ironic that my best friend actually caught the attentions of one of Cybertron's most eligible bachelors./**

**/I believe you caught just as eligible a bachelor yourself./**

**/Likely… Ratchet would disagree./**

**/As would Ironhide./ **I shuddered at the name, causing Megatron to squeak in confusion and curiosity. I glanced down at him before responding to Prime.

**/That mech scares me./**

**/We will have to remedy that, as he is my bodyguard and lives in the housing unit next to mine./ **I froze and looked at my mate.

**/Frag./**

"Danni!" Megatron called up to me. I looked down at him and grinned.

"Yes, my spark?"

"Danni."

"Yep. That's me. Do you want some energon?" Megatron squealed happily.

"He sure is a cute little slagger, isn't he?" a grumpy voice said from behind me. I glanced over at Brawn with a grin.

"All sparklings are cute, and Megatron loves attention," I replied easily, ever happy to show off my mechling.

"Heh. Maybe the slagmaker isn't too bad like that," the minibot said gruffly. I grinned, happy that at least one mech was making an attempt at accepting my little sparkling.

"Yeah, but just remember that he's a _Wrecker,_" Springer cut in, "just like the sparkling in her chamber." The 'copterbot fixed Optimus with a stern look. "You better take care of all of them, or else." I blinked at my creator, shocked at the statement.

"Opi… you don't… mind?" I asked slowly, wondering idly how he had heard the the newspark. Springer huffed, crossing his arms with a cocky smirk.

"Don't mistake my meaning, femme. I'm just waiting for him to screw up so I can legitimately beat the slag outta him." I rolled my optics. Trust my opiluk to destroy any chances of having a nice, peaceful conversation.

"Be nice, Opi. Oh, thanks, Ratchet!" I chirped when the mech handed me a bottle of low-grade. Megatron gave a delighted squeal and reached for said bottle. I steered it into his mouth and grinned when he started sucking it down.

"Slowly, my mech," Optimus interjected. Megatron looked up at his mech creator before deliberately slowing his progress. "Good mech."

"Optimus, I have finished all the datawork, and once Megatron is finished, you three are free to go. Do not return to work for at least three more solar cycles. Relax, and spend time with your femme and mechling. No work," Ratchet ordered briskly. Optimus nodded before sending a wave of desire, love, and happiness over the bond.

**/Primus bless, mech! What is **_**wrong**_** with you?!/**

**/My spark calls to that of the sparkling's. I need to bond with her./**

**/Are you sure that's what this is all about? And what makes you so sure it will be a femme?/**

**/Mechs always know these things./**

**/You are ridiculous./**

**/Yes, but you love me anyways, do you not?/**

**/Yes. I love you **_**very much**_**./ **Optimus smiled as nuzzled his helm against mine. I was about to comment when a loud voice interrupted us in a language I could not understand.

"_Optimus an' Moonstrike sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_" Jazz sang cheerfully. Optimus groaned heavily, posture sagging in annoyance.

"Jazz, that is illogical!" he called over. Jazz grinned back.

"What? You two in a _tree_, or you two _kissin'_?" Jazz replied. Optimus' engine rumbled in irritation.

"Ratchet, we will return the bottle later," he stated as he rose to his pedes. "We will be in my quarters if needed."

"Oh, don' worrey. Ain't nobot gonna d'sturb ya. Ev'rybot knows wha' _you two'll_ be doin' fo' the next couple cycles," Jazz said suggestively as he winked behind his visor.

"Primus bless,' Optimus mumbled as he pulled me into a standing position against his body with his uninjured arm. "Let us take our leave before somebot gets injured," he said lowly to me in a teasing voice. I grinned up at him as we left the medbay.

"You really shouldn't do that to him," Ratchet stated once the door was closed. Jazz grinned.

"Slag that. Teasin' Prime isn' half as hard as gettin' Prowler ta roll 'is optics. 'Sides, Imma bond with 'er best friend. They bes' start gettin' used ta me while I'm still single, cuz it's gonna get way worse once I'm bonded an' end up spendin' more time with 'em."

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><p>I grimaced as we walked through the hallways. Bots either stared, gave me a wide berth, or both. Nobot spoke in my presence, and all conversations stopped as Optimus and I passed by.<p>

**/They have heard of what happened to you. They are unsure how you will act./ **Optimus explained over the bond. I frowned and looked down at Megatron as we entered his quarters.

"I feel like I have Cosmic Rust or something," I said dismally. I stopped in the middle of the room and frowned, realizing that I couldn't continue. Optimus, who had continued into the room, paused when he realized I was not following him and looked back at me. "I can't stay here," I stated without hesitation. Optimus frowned from where he stood beside the couch. I winced when the memory file of Rip-Rage killing himself flashed at the back of my processor.

"Rip-Rage," Optimus said flatly, understanding the reasoning behind my desire to leave. "Very well." His optics dimmed as he activated his comm. link. I waited as he spoke with the other mech, then stepped closer to him when his optics brightened.

"I have spoken to Prowl. He is making the necessary arrangements. For now, we will stay in my office," Optimus stated. I nodded and allowed him to lead me out of the room. I was silent during the trip, pointedly ignoring the mechs that stopped to stare at me as if they were waiting for me to break.

**/Ignore them. They are not important./**

**/I understand that, but it does not excuse the fact that I am not a sideshow freak that is meant to be stared at. I am a sparked femme that wants nothing more than to recharge with her family unit and be left in peace./** I felt Optimus' sympathy through the bond, but it wasn't enough. I was tired. I was tired of the fear, the pity, and the worry. I was tired of having to worry that somebot was going to capture me, my mater, or my sparkling. I was tired of having to fight a war that technically ended four vorns ago. I was tired of all of it.

"All is well, my love. I am here, and you are safe," Optimus promised as he led me into his office. Megatron squeaked in excitement at the familiar surroundings. I smiled down at the mech and pulled out of Optimus' grasp long enough to drop down into a sitting position against the wall. I grimaced when Optimus sat down beside me, not liking the grinding gears I heard.

"Primus! You need to rest that frame before it falls apart!" I said in surprise. Optimus grunted.

"I am resting. I'll be even more rested once we have a room to rest in, rather than an office." I grimaced as I looked down at Megatron, who had decided to tackle walking again.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience," I said earnestly. Optimus vented as he pulled me against his left side.

"You are my mate, Moonstrike. I love you, and I will sacrifice for you. If that means sitting in my office for a few breems, so be it. I love you, and nothing will change that."

"Even my problems?" I asked, looking up at him. He smiled down at me.

"I can handle your problems. For now, focus on recovering and bringing our sparkling to term." I smiled up at him and gently nuzzled his chest. With that promise in mind, we both turned our attention back to Megatron, who was happily toddling along without needing any assistance at all. After all that had happened, the peace was breath-taking, and something that she had really needed.

_I could get used to this._

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><p><strong>Chistarpax: <strong>Lol. So… were you one of the ones that wanted him to lose his face…? XD

**Link's Rose: **Lol. She had a good point, though. Ratchet probably already knew that, but she had to make sure. ^^; Silly Moonstrike

**Lovely Rain Dancer: **0.+ I dunno if I wanna deal with a toddler that big… Could you imagine the temper tantrums…? 0.0 Lol. Yeeeaaahhh… And lesson number two? Don't piss off Optimus. He'll chop off your hands…

**Mrs. Knockout: **Glad you liked the fluff. I loved writing it. :)

**SilverNeira: **Yup. All's well that ends well. ^-^

**CocoLab: **Everyone's so happy he's dead. I'm glad he's dead too. Slagger creeped me out. 0.o

**Noella50881: **Yeah, Ratchet can be nice sometimes. He knew Moonstrike didn't mean to be snappy. ;) Or he didn't wanna deal with Optimus if he woke up to his mate being attacked by a wrench.

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness: **:D Glad you liked it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. :)

**Autobot-Blurr 221: **Ha! Just a little. They can't help it. They got too much time on their servos ;)

**Suki-Angel91494: **:) Thank you, as well, for sticking with me through this journey and offering the encouragement I needed. :D

**Jazaline Coriana Lupus: **Lol. Glad you like it so much. :)

**Leonixon: **Lol. Glad you liked it. I might go back and extend it if I have time. Too early to say at this point. And I'm afraid I don't have a plot… I dunno if I could come up with one, either. I ain't got much time, and I have six other one-shots I'm working on… Well, I'll ponder it and see if I can figure anything out. :)

**Kae88: **You shall see. I'm writing an epilogue, so you get to see the ending where everyone is all happy :)

**Lunar Radioactive: **=_= When you say "adorabibble" I immediately think of that Barbie fairy movie my sister used to love *eye twitch* Anywho, sparkling Megsy is the sweetest mechling ever… Aside from my other sparklings. I think I love my trinelet more than baby Megs…

**Fanmanbookman: **True, true. I think all my fics are overly emotional. ^^;

**Iceshadow911247: **O. M. G! I know, right! I fraggin _love_ Knockout. He is sooooooo cool and sexy in that Autobot way! Primus, I would _so_ bond with him! Well, other than the fact that I would haveto deal with him whining about his paintjob 24/7… On second thought, I'll keep my sights on Sideswipe and Jazz…

*Snicker* Yeah, turn it to Linkin Park or something. XD And Ratchet is not creepy! He's the Hatchet! :D

**Angel897:** I have so much fun writing stuff like that. Fluff will take over the world! X3

**Guest: **Yeah, I screwed up on the battle big time. I'll be the first to say it. When I planned it, it was actually about twice as long, and it would have taken up about two thousand more words, but the problem was that it was basically the same thing over and over again, and it got boring and redundant very quickly. I'll probably end up rewriting that chapter a little later on, but ofr now, I really just wanna finish this fic and move on. I love FF. net, but I need to start my own novel, and I can't do that without mastering my final lessons. I'm debating continuing the story through this riot, but the fact of the matter is I need to let go. I need to just finish this fic and get onto the next one. Catch my drift? So, don't hold your breath. If I do continue this fic, it will no longer be my top priority as it had been. And once again, it is very unlikely I _will_ continue it. My apologies, because I know it frustrates you as much as it frustrates me, but I don't think there will be a big bang for this fic. Maybe, maybe not. We shall see.

**Mercedes Wolfcry: **How does one reply to that reply…? Lol? Huh… I will have to ponder that…

**Thebookfan09: **Lol. I always have grammar errors. My goal is to have _no_ errors on my last fic ^-^ This is my goal! BTW, I will PM you when I get off on Friday. I have so much crap going on right now. Frigging hate it =_=

**CatGirlFireflare: **Lol. Not that epic, but it was the last battle nonetheless. Glad you enjoyed it! :D

**Naughtia: **Ratchet hits everyone. Except for Soundwave. Nobody hits Soundwave. 0.0

**Autobot-Bre: **Glad you liked it. :) I loves the fluff. I can't wait to start on the angsty parts of my new story. ^o^ Super excited for that! I have _so_ many plans!

**Bitchymermaidwhoreee: **Lol. That tends to happen in my stories ^^;

**Transformers girl 1234: **Awwww! You're gonna make me cry TT^TT

**Gaia Kame: **Heh. Yeah, my chapters alternate from really short to normal length depending on my time and attitude. That super long battle scene in Protihex was written when I was really mad XD Glad you liked it, and hope this chapter was up to expectations. Thanks for the review!

**Sunstreaker's Squishy:** Oh, Primus! Amnesia soap operas _so_ Mary-sue. I've only seen it done once where I didn't roll my eyes. No, I like to think I'm a little more creative than that. The reality of the situation is that, logically, she wouldn't be able to get away from a complete processor rewrite like that without some sort of damage. She won't be able to remember mechs like Drift or Xenon, but she'll remember pretty much everyone else. All the main characters ;)

**BlackHamster96: **:D Glad you like it. Thanks for the review!

**Trapezoidal: **Lol. Aw, thanks! Shock's offline and the Prime's family unit is finally safe! Glad you liked it, and hope you like my new fic :)

**Shadowolf27: **I can see where you're coming from, but think of it from Optimus' perspective. I mean, Shockwave was behind the murder of hundreds of mechs and femmes by turning them into experiments or torturing them until their sparks gave out. He had no qualms about causing agony or extreme pain, and he had no problems with torturing femmes, younglings, civilians, or innocents. Then, on top of all that, he kidnaps his mates, plays around with her processor, and tries to turn her against Optimus. Don't you think he'd be kinda pissed? And honestly, I doubt Optimus would even ponder Shockwave getting to go to the Matrix. Besides, it was dramatic, and with such an anti-climatic chapter, I needed something at least a _little _dramatic. And, no, the amnesia isn't too bad. It's just that there's no way a person could get away from Shockwave's treatments without _some_ form of processor damage. She won't remember bots like Xenon and Drift. Everybot else, she'll pretty much remember them.

Naw. I dun like beastformers. Given, the personalities in Beast Wars is what really turned me off to them. It was like Mattel tried to take the normal Autobots and turn them into animals. Cheetor and Rattrap bugged the slag out of me, Optimus Primal made my eye twitch, and Megatron was… well, we won't go there. If they fixed the characters, then I would probably like it, but I'm not one for the whole "techno-organic" thing. *shrug* Just an opinion. Don't really matter to anyone but myself, right? ;)

**Luna Uchiha666: **:) Thanks. I didn't wanna focus on the battle as much as the recovery. I had this long battle planned out, but it was just Shockwave and Optimus waving swords at each other, so I cut it down *shrug* dunno if that was a good idea or not.

**Vivian Hale**: Lol! Yup, everything's back to normal. Sorta.

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><p>1) The song Jazz was singing was "Can't Fight This Feeling" by Air Supply<p>

2) Jazz will be spending more time with Prime and Moon because of Stream ;)

3) Review :D


	50. Epilogue

1) well, ladies and gents, this is the end of the road. It's been a fabulous run, and I would like to thank all of you who reviewed, followed, faved, or simply viewed this fic. You have made this a fun writing experience, and you made the effort worth it. I luv ya forever, dear fans, and I hope that all y'all head over to my latest and last fic **_A Spark's Haven._**Enjoy this last chapter, and review. My dream is for people to actually reread this fic as I do with my favorite fics. We'll see how that goes. ;) Enjoy!

2) My PM system shut down for some reason... I think it's my computer, but I cannot open my PM box. It won't load. So... sorry to all that PMed me and didn't get a reply. I got the email telling me that you PMed, I just cannot reply as of yet. I'm trying to fix my computer, but I am rather technologically challenged, so it may take a few more days. Sorry!

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><p>Chapter 50<p>

Epilogue

5,038 words

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><p>"Moonstrike, hurry or we shall be late… again." Optimus smiled as he watched his sparkmate finish her energon, her movements slow and deliberate. Moonstrike grimaced as she slowly rose to her pedes. She had spent the better half of the morning sitting in a fluffy pillow-like chair that Optimus had had made special for her. It was huge, taking up the same amount of space as his desk did, but it was large enough that she could curl up on it and relax, a pastime she had taken up since her ensparkment had gotten more… extreme. The new-spark had taken to flaring up in response to Moonstrike's emotions, something that kept the couple on their pedes. Optimus would never forget the first time it had happened. They had gotten rather passionate while Moonstrike attempted to draw his attention away from his work. The pain had been abrupt and sharp, and the two had rushed to Ratchet for what turned out to be an extremely embarrassing checkup. Now, Moonstrike normally stayed in a state of mid-recharge, relaxing in her chair in Optimus's office.<p>

"I'm coming, my love," she grunted as she slowly moved to where he stood. Her movements were jerky, slow thanks to the lack of energy that the spark seemed to cause. Optimus gingerly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and nuzzled his helm to hers. Moonstrike purred lightly as she took in his heat, then she grunted when the spark flared in happiness at the close proximity of its mech creator. "I can't wait for this thing to be born," she said breathlessly. "I'm pretty sure it's personal goal is to cause me pain."

"Come now, Moonstrike," Optimus chuckled, "I doubt the sparkling is making a conscious effort. Now, let us get you to the party."

"Can't we just stay home?" she whined, letting her helm rest limply against his shoulder.

"No. They have been planning this for quite a while, my mate," Optimus said apologetically. "And on that same note, I would be obliged if you would act surprised. Jazz wanted this to be a surprise."

"'Course he would. Slagger wants me to have a spark-attack before the sparkling can be born," she muttered irritably, thinking of all the "surprises" Jazz had given her in the last couple of orns. She didn't know why he felt the need to plan surprise parties, but she was fairly certain it was so that he could jump out at her while yelling "Surprise!" and scare the slag out of her. At first, it had been funny, but in these late orns, the shock would cause her spark to speed up, which would cause the new-spark to flare up in equal surprise.

"Calm yourself, my spark. I have spoken with him, and he has promised not to startle you," Optimus assured her as he led her from his office to the front of their new, four-berthroom housing unit. She scoffed and mumbled something derogatory under her breath about the mech.

"Megatron, it's time to leave," Moonstrike called down the hall.

"Comin', Danni," the youngling called back. Moonstrike smiled as she watched the small mech toddle down the hall to them from his recently added room beside the library (She couldn't thank the Wreckers enough for being willing to expand the housing unit for her and her family unit). He was new to his youngling frame and was still trying to find his new center of balance. It didn't keep him from playing, though. The frame, which now sported the growing wing nubs of a flyer, was painted pitch black, crimson red, and royal blue in respect for his opiluk, whom he viewed as a hero of sorts. His red optics still remained, as they would until his final frame. "Danni, how's Sparky?" Megatron asked. He had taken up calling the new-spark by that name.

"Perfectly fine, my mech," Moonstrike responded. "And are you ready for the party?"

"Yup! All ready!" Megatron chirped as he came to a stop by Moonstrike's pedes and smiled up at her. Optimus gently scooped the youngling up into his arms, smiling at the loud giggles this movement garnered, and settled the mechling in his right arm while wrapping his left one around his mate, who had a deep grimace on her faceplates.

"You are certain I can't stay here?" she said, coming severely close to begging. Her sparkling chamber had been aching all solar cycle, and now that the first lunar cycle had arrived, her processor and frame all but begged for recharge. Optimus gave a sad smile.

"Jazz informed me that Streamshot deeply desired your presence there," he said, sending his apologies through the bond while prodding to see just how tired his mate was. He frowned when he realized that she was exhausted. "Then again, perhaps you _should_ stay here. I can make your excuses."

"No. You're right. I need to be there," Moonstrike replied, knowing that Streamshot would be dragging her to the party if she didn't attend on her own. Optimus smiled at his mate.

"You are a good friend," he commented as he wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the housing unit. The second they crossed the threshold, Optimus pulled her closer to himself, shielding her subconsciously from the outside world. This had become a habit not long after Moonstrike's return from Shockwave. Optimus, having had nightmares for orns after, had taken to shielding his mate and sparkling with his own body as they walked. Moonstrike had been convinced that the behavior would stop, but it only seemed to grow worse. The mech had been more and more protective ever since that day, and she was sure that this was partially because of the many riots that he had to deal with. He had yet to leave her alone in the housing unit, dragging her to his meetings instead, and he never left her side when they were outdoors. At first, this had irritated her, but it had become common practice to the point that she barely noticed it anymore.

"Optimus, are we taking the Metro?" Moonstrike asked hesitantly as they headed in that direction. She knew Optimus hated the Met and all the security hazards and assassinations opportunities it offered.

"Yes. Stay close," he ordered as he steered them into the crowd. Megatron, sensing his mech creator's unease, cuddled closer to his chest, and Moonstrike, understanding what caused that unease, huddled closer to his frame as well. The bots around the stared in awe, amazed that the prime was making a public appearance with his mate. Really, this shouldn't have surprised them, but most still found it surprising that the prime had bonded without telling the media, and Moonstrike's appearance didn't make them any less of a spectacle either. Together, the small family unit boarded the Metro car headed to downtown Iacon and headed to the back in silence. They seated themselves in the last empty seat, Optimus having Moonstrike slide in first so that he could take the isle seat, and smiled when Megatron immediately crawled across his danniluk's lap to plaster his face against the window.

"Is that the prime?"

"What is he doing on the Met? I heard he avoids these now."

"Is that his mate? Oh, my Primus, I've been super excited to meet her!"

"Primus, they look so exotic together."

"Ooohhh, I wish I were Moonstrike!"

"And that youngling! Primus, he's so adorable!"

The whispers and murmurs rose around them, and Moonstrike's tail flicked at the knowledge that they were the center of attention as she gently curled Megatron closer to her. Optimus stiffened beside her, wanting to hide her from the prying optics, not knowing if there was a pair in there that was unfriendly. He was not ignorant of the attempted attacks that had taken place and been stopped by his guards, and he had grown paranoid of when the next attack would happen.

**/I am not a complete invalid…/** Moonstrike remarked dryly through the bond. Optimus grimaced at the brief flare of pain that sifted through as well.

**/Yes, but you are with spark, and I will not allow some mech to kill you and that spark simply because he does not feel he needs to work for his energon./ **Optimus replied calmly. **/How is the spark?/**

**/Making itself known./** Moonstrike stated with a grunt of pain. **/Little fragger doesn't wanna stay still. I'm gonna fraggin' **_**kill**_** Jazz for planning this party./**

Optimus chuckled as he turned his attention fully to his mate while keeping his sensors trained on the mechs and femmes around them that cast them furtive glances and discreetly took photo stills to prove that they had, indeed, been in the same Metro car as the great prime and his Wrecker mate. **/The sparkling is lively, is she not?/ **

**/If that is some sort of a joke, I swear I'll glue your facemask to your lips./**

**/Well, that would be unwise. How would I kiss you if my mask was glued to my face?/**

**/How do you always turn my statements into dirty questions?/**

**/Perhaps Jazz is beginning to rub off on me./**

**/Oh, Primus bless. I will move in with Streamshot if you started acting like him./**

**/Yes, but then you would be dealing with him all the time, and I do not think you have the patience for that./**

**/There would be no problem. I'm killing him at the party, remember?/** Optimus actually laughed out loud at that, and Moonstrike was fairly certain she saw a few femmes melt. She smirked as she cuddled into her mechs chest. _'He's all mine, suckers. Eat your sparks out,'_ she thought with a grin. Her audio amplifiers perked up a bit when she heard her name whispered, and she grimaced as she tucked them back against her helm. One thing she had grown to hate was being able to hear all the whispers, all the things bots didn't think she could hear.

"She's not good enough for him."

"What an ugly frame."

"Primus knows he could do better."

"_That's_ the thing that will be running Cybertron if Prime dies?"

"Primus, why did he mate with a Wrecker reject experiment?"

Moonstrike would be lying if she said that the remarks didn't hurt, at least a little, especially right now when she was at the end of her sparkancy. As it was, her chest plates were expanded out to make room for the growing sparkling, and the sky blue paint there was three shades darker due to the extra flow of energon being circulated there for the sparkling. Her claws and fangs were sharper than normal, a natural preparation for a moment when she may need to defend her sparkling on her own. In addition to all of that, her senses were even _more_ sensitive than normal. Her olfactory sensors were able to pick up smells from blocks away, and her audio amplifiers were no longer truly necessary to hear mumblings and whispered conversations. Her optics, which had once been slightly sensitive to light, were now constantly covered by her visor.

**/Ignore them/ **Optimus ordered over the bond. **/They are jealous of your position in my life./**

Moonstrike nodded, knowing what he spoke was truth. It didn't make the words any less painful, though. Optimus rose to his pedes just as the Met car jerked to a stop and gently pulled Moonstrike to hers as she gathered Megatron into her arms. She winced as she straightened, but easily huddled close to her mate as they joined the flow of bots leaving the car. Megatron looked around excitedly, trying to listen into the buzzing chatter of the mechs around them.

"Opi, look at that mech! He's _huge_!" Megatron chirped excitedly as he pointed at a mech that stood twice as tall as the prime. Optimus smiled indulgently at the mechling.

"Indeed, he is," the prime noted.

"Optimus, wasn't someone coming to escort us?" Moonstrike asked abruptly as they moved through the crowd, which parted marginally for them as they walked.

"Oh. My. Primus! _It's Optimus Prime!_" A femme's voice rose over the din of every-cycle chatter, and a second later, all noise ceased. Attention turned to the mentioned mech, who had to fight back a scowl. A prime did not scowl at his subjects.

"Move it!" a gruff voice snapped. "Nothin' to see here! It's Prime's planet, too, you glitchmice!"

"Salutations, Ironhide," Optimus greeted, relaxing marginally when the hulking black weapons specialist shoved himself into the circle that had somehow formed around the small royal family. He glanced around at the staring bots, glaring at them until they fled.

"Prime. Moonstrike," Ironhide said, nodding to each in turn once the traffic of the Metro Center was finally moving around them again.

"'Hide!" Megatron called out excitedly. He bounced eagerly in his danniluk's arms, reaching for the black bot excitedly. Moonstrike wasn't quite sure when it happened, but somehow, Ironhide had grown to be one of Megatron's favorite mechs to be around, under Soundwave and Kup, of course.

"Megs, be still," Moonstrike ordered with a grunt. The mechling froze and looked up at his femme creator's pained faceplates before wincing and nuzzling his helm against her aching chestplates.

"Sorry, Danni," he mumbled.

"You're okay, sweetspark," the femme responded tightly.

"Pit, Moonstrike. Why are you out this late in the sparkancy?" Ironhide questioned as he moved to her side to take the repentant Megatron from her arms.

"Streamshot and Jazz," she replied simply. Ironhide snorted at the answer, understanding completely. What Streamshot wanted, she got, and Jazz was more than happy to make sure that always happened.

"'Hide!" Megatron called, wanting to have the larger mech's attention. Ironhide gave the mech a gruff look.

"What do you want, runt?"

"Guess what! I beat Opi at swords!" Megatron chirped, extremely proud of his success.

"Did you really?" Ironhide asked in a mock amazed voice. He turned amused optics onto the prime. "He is a strong opponent. Perhaps I should start building your first cannons." Megatron squealed in delight and clapped excitedly.

"You most certainly will not!" Moonstrike snapped before wincing. She moaned as she suddenly put all her weight on Optimus.

"Moonstrike?" Optimus asked in a worried voice, gently holding her up as he maneuvered his helm so that he could look at her face. "My love?"

"Ow…" she whimpered. Optimus frowned as he watched her bring a hand to her chest.

"Moonstrike…"

"I'm fine. Just… a flare up. Primus, this kid is active," she said on a grunt, but she did not straighten. Optimus frowned as he glanced up, noting how bots were stopping and staring again.

"Moonstrike, we need to get to a less public area," the large mech murmured to his mate. Moonstrike nodded curtly as she worked to straighten her body. She leaned heavily on her bonded mate as she started to move. They had only taken three steps before she froze. She looked down at her chest plates and hesitantly pulled her hand away. Optimus cocked his helm when he saw the look of utter horror on her face.

"Oh, Primus. Ooohhhhhh, Primus," she said in a terrified voice. She looked up at Optimus just as he zeroed in on the substance on her hand, the same substance leaking from her chest plates: energon. His dazed and equally horrified optics slowly met hers.

"Optimus… it's time…" she whispered in a high, stressed voice.

"Oh, Primus…" Optimus repeated her earlier words dumbly. At that second, his battle computer whirred to life, and he scooped his mate into his arms.

* * *

><p><strong>::Optimus Prime to Ratchet!:: -Optimus Prime<strong>

**::Frag. Was Ironhide late again?:: -Ratchet**

**::MY MATE IS HAVING A SPARKLING! **_**What do I do?!:: **_**-Optimus Prime**

**::Fragging slaggin spawn of Unicron's slaggin'—:: -Ratchet**

**::I don't have **_**time**_** for this! What do I need to do?!:: -Optimus Prime**

**::First, calm down. Next—:: -Ratchet**

**::Ratchet, she's screaming! How do I make it stop?!:: -Optimus Prime**

**::"It?":: -Ratchet**

**::The pain, fraggit!:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Get her to my clinic **_**now**_**! I will meet you there.:: -Ratchet**

**::But her pain—:: -Optimus Prime**

**::Is natural. Just get her to the clinic.:: -Ratchet**

* * *

><p>"Fraggit!" Ratchet suddenly yelled loudly, effectively startling every mech and femme in the room. "Jazz, I have to go. I will return… maybe," Ratchet snapped as he moved toward the door of the large greeting room they had been assembled in. Jazz frowned as he stood, following after the medic.<p>

"Wha's'up?" Jazz questioned.

"Prime's spawn has decided to join us," Ratchet replied irritably. Streamshot, who had been speaking with Flareup when she picked up that tidbit, shrieked in excitement.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Let's go!" she prodded as she rushed out the door just as Ratchet exited. Springer and Arcee were quick to follow her, and Jazz exchanged glances with Flareup and Chromia before pursuing them. The last two occupants simply looked at each other with undecipherable looks.

"Well, I suppose one of us should stay here for when the other ones get here," Kup stated.

"Affirmative," Soundwave replied.

"It ain't gonna be me," the older mech grunted.

"Soundwave: unwilling to desert Moonstrike in moment of need."

"So… I guess everybot else can just wait outside for us to get back."

"Get back from where?" The two mechs looked at the door to see Bumblebee standing in the doorway. Kup grinned at the younger mech.

"You have a new assignment, cadet. Direct everybot to Ratchet's clinic when they get here. Moonstrike's having a sparkling!" Kup ordered. The patted the mech on the helm before transforming and speeding away. Soundwave gave the yellow scout a blank look before running down the street in the same direction of the pale green pickup. Bumblebee frowned, his wings sagging sadly. Why did he always end up with these jobs?

* * *

><p>Optimus paced frantically in the lobby of Ratchet's small clinic. The mechs around him watched in amusement as he walked back and forth, much like he had the last time he had been there. He glared at the ground as he took eight evenly spaced steps before pausing and looking at the doors to the medbay, as if waiting for his mate to come bursting through the doors any klik. When she didn't appear, he would grunt irritably and take eight more steps the other direction before looking at the door again. It was a continuous cycle that was only broken when yet another mech walked into the already crowded medbay. At the moment, half of the Iaconian Wrecker clan was standing near the back of the room, and the Royal Command Trine stood near the door. Megatron was being entertained by Ravage and Chemical while Soundwave stood watch over them. Ironhide stood beside Jazz, who looked extremely amused by the goings on. Prowl, who had arrived only moments ago, stood in a corner of the room, inspecting the medbay door.<p>

"Is it supposed to take this long?" Optimus asked for the twenty-third time in a rather stressed voice, pausing to look anxiously at the 'bay door.

"You think this is bad? Arcee was in the 'bay for three joors with Moonstrike," Springer chirped, taking quite a bit of delight in his creation-in-law's stress. It was partially his fault Moonstrike was in pain, after all. Optimus made a strange noise before taking three steps toward the 'bay. He paused and opened his bond a bit more. He had had it partially open for the past half joor to alleviate Moonstrike's pain, but he had not opened it all the way for fear of distracting her.

**/Distraction is not bad./** came Moonstrike exhausted presence.

**/Moonstrike…/**

**/I'm fine… just tired…/**

**/All is well?/**

**/Well, Ratchet hasn't started panicking yet. I guess that's a good thing./**

**/What is taking so long?/**

**/I… I am uncertain…/**

**::Ratchet, what is taking so long?:: -Optimus Prime**

Of course, Ratchet's comm. was offline. Typical. Optimus grunted in worry. Ratchet only offlined his comm. when there was a problem.

**/You do not feel any more pain?/**

**/Just… just a little—Frag!/ **Optimus jumped at the exclamation and the sharp pain that accompanied it.

**/Moonstrike?!/**

**/Sweetspark? What's a nap…?/**

**/A… a nap? Why?/**

**/Ratchet said I… Ratchet said… naps… I…/**

**/Moonstrike?/** There was no reply, and Optimus' helm whirled to face the medbay door. He was getting ready to sprint into the room when a rather joyful-looking Arcee walked out. Optimus rushed to her and grabbed her arms as he looked into her optics.

"Moonstrike! She's—"

"Out cold," Arcee finished with a smile. "There was a bit of trouble, but everything has worked out perfectly well. Optimus, would you like to meet your femme creation?" Optimus stared at her, dumbstruck, as he nodded his helm. Arcee smiled as she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the medbay.

The smell of processed energon was the first thing that registered in his processor, reminding him painfully of the days of the Second Great War. The next thing he registered was the sight of his mate lying deathly still on a medical berth. A interlinear line fed her body partially processed energon to compensate for that which was lost, and monitors were hooked up to her chest plating, keeping track of her spark rate as Ratchet worked carefully on something in her chest. Optimus ran his optics over her to reassure himself that she was still here and had not been taken from him as Elita had been.

Then his optics landed on the pink bundle in Flareup's arms. Small clicks of distress reached Optimus' audios, and he instinctively clicked as he moved toward the small bundle as if on auto-pilot. The cries and clicks of the smallest femme slowly died down as she listened to her mech creator's deep voice. Optimus didn't ask Flareup's permission before taking the bundle into his arms.

Blue optics stared up at him, optics that were tiny, yet large on that small face. A pair of antennae that were identical to his own moved back and forth on her small red helm as she studied the only mech she knew. She was currently chewing on her servo, which tapered off into dull claws like her danniluk's. Finally, her optics brightened, and she gave Optimus a happy smile around her fingers. She trilled delightedly as she reached her hands up to her opiluk, wanting to feel the heat of his frame, the contours of his faceplates. He almost melted at the curiosity and childish love flowing through the brand new creator bond.

"Come, my young one. There one yet that must greet you," Optimus murmured as he moved back out of the medbay and back into the lobby with a gentle smile on his face. There was total silence as all attention turned to Optimus as he strode across the room to where Megatron sat. The young mech, noticing his opiluk's approach, paused in his game with Ravage and looked up at him. He frowned as he watched his opi kneel down before him, staring at the wiggling pink bundle in his mech creator's arms.

"OPi? Is that Sparky?" Megatron asked hesitantly as he stood and trotted over to his father. Optimus smiled and nodded as he lowered the femling a bit so that Megatron could peer down at her. The femling, for her part, seemed utterly fascinated by this new mech and squealed happily as she reached for him. Megatron grinned and bounced happily as he looked up at his creator.

"She likes me, Opi! I can feel her in my spark!" he exclaimed, then he looked back down at the sparkling. "I'm gonna be the bestest big brother ever! I'll take care a' her and keep her safe, and we'll be bestest friends!" the youngling proclaimed as he gazed down at his new sister. Optimus smiled proudly down at his son.

"I know you will," he said with chuckle. He glanced back at the door when he felt Moonstrike's bond stir a bit. "Come, Megatron. Danni is onlining."

"Yay!" he chirped. Optimus chuckled again as he stood. Megatron stepped up onto his father's foot, as was habit, and wrapped his arms around the mech's large calf. It was a custom that had been started a while back when Megatron was still learning to walk long distances. When the little mech got tired or didn't feel like walking anymore, he would latch onto one of his creators' pedes and hang on for the ride. Optimus, for his part, waited patiently for his son to get settled before walking back towards the 'bay door, smiling at the bots as he passed them and accepting various words of congratulations and praise as he moved. Megatron bounced excitedly as Optimus passed through the doors and twittered in joy when Optimus stopped by Moonstrike's berth.

"Moonstrike?" the large mech murmured. Ratchet finished what he was doing and gently closed Moonstrike's chest plates before turning his gaze to the prime.

"She's not to move until the welds finish setting," Ratchet stated, giving the family a small smile. "I need to scan the sparkling once more, then I'll go talk with everybot else," Ratchet finished.

The medibot grabbed a small scanner and took two steps towards the larger mech, but he was forced to pause when Optimus gave a low growl of warning. Ratchet scowled.

"No, none of that. We've had this talk before, Prime. I will not harm your family, and being overprotective like that will not help the matter," the medic snapped. He stomped up to Optimus, completely ignoring the warning looks he received from the mech as he peered down at the clicking femling.

"Hello, sweetspark," Ratchet cooed as he lifted the scanner. Large blue optics turned to the chartreuse mech, and the femling gave a curious whistle. Ratchet smiled again, ever a sucker for sparklings, and held the scanner over her helm. The sparkling squeaked shrilly when the light flashed briefly over her body, recoiling violently before curling into her opiluk's chest with a whine. "Well, she certainly has your dramatics," Ratchet commented.

"_My_ dramatics? I believe she gets that from Moonstrike," Optimus disagreed as he watched Ratchet read the scan results. The medic scoffed in reply.

"Doubtful. You have always been overly dramatic, as has your brother."

"Opi has a brother?" Megatron piped up curiously. Ratchet tensed, and his right optics twitched before he forced himself to relax again.

"Your opiluk _had_ a brother," Ratchet replied. "He is no longer as he was."

"Oh…" Megatron said slowly, not really understanding at all. It was his experience, though, that it was unwise to further question Ratchet the Hatchet…

"Optimus…?" a tired voice rose from the berth. Optimus and Megatron both perked up at the raspy female voice.

"Danni!" Megatron cheered, scrambling up from Optimus' ped and rushing to the berth. The youngling bounced excitedly, wanting up on the berth, but unable to get up by himself.

"Here you go, runt," Ratchet grunted as he lifted him onto the berth. Megatron twittered happily as he crawled over to his danniluk.

"Danni, Danni! I have a sister!" he exclaimed joyfully. "Primus bringed me a sister!"

"Did he really?" Moonstrike asked weakly, turning her gaze up to Optimus. She smiled at the sight of the tiny bundle in his muscular arms. The bundle clicked and chirped at the sound of her voice, and Optimus gave a small chuckle as he settled himself on the bed beside her.

"This is our femme creation, Moonstrike. You did well," Optimus murmured as he laid the femling—blanket and all—on her stomach on Moonstrike's chest. The femling whistled curiously as she patted her femme creator's chest plates, enjoying the feel of the smooth metal against her little hand. Moonstrike smiled at the little femme before glancing up at Optimus, who had a look of utter adoration and love on his faceplates.

"Elita," Moonstrike stated. Optimus shuttered his optics in confusion and cocked his helm to the side.

"I am afraid I do not understand," Optimus admitted as he rose to his pedes.

"I want to designate her Elita," Moonstrike expounded, giving Optimus a meaningful look. The larger mech look torn, wanting to remember his femme, but not knowing if this was the right way to do it. Did he really have the right to let Moonstrike name her sparkling after his first love, a love he would never be able to forget. "Elita would want this, Optimus," Moonstrike added, knowing what his conflict would be. "Elita would want it, and I want it. A femme like Elita deserves to be remembered like this."

"When a bots says her name, everybot will automatically think of my mate. Instead, let us name her 'Ariel.' It was Elita's name back when we first met and before I became a prime," Optimus replied. Moonstrike nodded slowly.

"Ariel… It has a smooth sound to it. I like it," Moonstrike agreed. Megatron slowly crawled up to her helm.

"So… her name's gonna be Ariel?" he asked slowly, gazing down at his little sister, who stared back at him with utter fascination.

"Yes," Moonstrike replied, regaining the sparkling's attention. "You will take care of her, right?" Megatron nodded seriously.

"Yep. I'm gonna be the bestest big brother _ever_," he swore. Moonstrike smiled, proud of her little bot.

"Moonstrike, Prime," Ratchet said as he walked into the bay. Moonstrike blinked, taking note for the first time that all the other bots had left the bay a few moments ago.

"Yes, Ratchet?" Optimus replied, standing a little straighter.

"These bots are anxious to meet your little femme," the medic stated. Optimus glanced over at Moonstrike, who nodded with a smile.

"Send them in," she ordered. Optimus smiled as he gently ran a finger down his little femling's helm. His Ariel. His little sparkling. As he watched the large crowd of bots squeeze into the room, he couldn't help but feel that he had won something. Whether it be a war or a contest, he could not really say. All he knew was that he had won the greatest prize of all, and nobot would ever take that away from him ever again. He would always be safe and happy with his own family.

Fin.

* * *

><p><strong>Link's Rose:<strong> Lol. It's understandable. Not easy to write out what they're saying in Cybertronian. ;) I love my overprotective Prime. He's a cutie.

**Autobot-Blurr 221:** Well, here's the final update on this one. :') The end of an era, I swear TT^TT

**Sunstreaker's Squishy:** =_=;; Yeah, FF isn't very nice to my formatting. It hates me most of the time. Makes me wanna roll my eyes. *sigh*

**CocoLab:** I think Shockwave creeped everyone out… He's just got that creeper vibe going on…

**Luna Prime-Awesomeness:** Lol. Yeah. Nobody ever really thinks about the fact that Cybertronians don't speak English while on Cybertron, so I like throwing those little bits in. :)

**Tori-Da-Mutt:** XD True, true. He has but a single optic…

**Gaia Kame:** No twins. When she said "sparklings," she meant Megatron and the unborn sparkling. I'll admit that through the middle of the story, I thought of making her have triplets (Cybercat's spark litters), but I ultimately deleted that idea. Not worth the effort. Much easier to just make one sparkling. Plus, It wards off the mary-sue factor that having twins brings.

**Lovely Rain Dancer:** XD Yep, Prime's making a sport of it. ;) Got tired of chopping off faces, so he chops off hands.

**Angel897:** Glad you liked it :)

**Lunar radioactive:** Lol. Just one of those random thoughts Didn't mean to cause any undue fear!

**Kae88:** Glad you liked it, hun! It was fun to write, and apparently fun to read. :) Thanks for your support!

**Chistarpax:** Lol. Shockwave doesn't have a face to rip off, though. Only and optic… 0.o

**Suki-Angel91494:** This is actually the first story that I've stuck to and legitimately ended (other than my four-chapter ficlets). I'm glad you liked it, and hope my next story is just a good.

**Thebookfan09:** Ha! Yes, I actually updated. And look at this! Another update within a month of the last one! *Shock* I actually haven't worked on my beloved pillow in a very long time. I have the front of it half-way done, but with projects and the like, I'm still having to go at it.

Awww. Thanks for the compliment. Being unique can make quite a difference in the writing business. Lol. Naw, Springs and 'Cee were kinda in the dark, but that's because the officers didn't want to chance someone else overhearing and spreading the word. Could you imagine if Deathfire or Deathstrike had heard of Moonstrike's sparkling before she was captured? 0.0

Lol. Everyone was thrown by the use of that word. Who knew a single English word would completely shock everyone who read this XD

**Mrs. Knockout:** Yup. Optimus gets to have a family. And a sorta vacation. Which is good. Poor guys need a break after all the slag I put them through. Jazz and Skyshock are going to be even worse off in my new fic, cuz I gotta master angst XD

And don't cry too much at the ending. It's s'posed ta be happy. ;)

**Noella50881:** Lol. I'm glad I'm passing it, too. ;)

**Fanmanbookman:** Ha! Yeah, I hate those fics that are strictly fight and hardcore…ness… Emotion's a good thing most of the time. :)

**Mercedes Wolfcry:** I dunno… me pondering can create dangerous things. 0.o I got three one-shots from my pondering, and not all of them were happy…

**Naughtia: **Yep. All good things must end, but when one good thing ends, another begins. :)

**Iceshadow911247:** Okay. You can have Jazz. I've got a whole bunch of bots to choose from. Ohhhh Sideswipe~~~

Sideswipe: Holy slag! Sunny, she found us!

Sunstreaker: Don't call me that.

Sideswipe: FLEE!

Sunstreaker: Fraggit, Sides, she's handcuffed to us!

You can't escape! XD

**Leonixon:** Lol. When Ratchet called him Orion, I automatically thought of a mom using a kid's full name for some reason. It tickled me, so I put it in. *shrug*

Neh. My bro doesn't have to worry about that. I ain't got anyone interested in me except for creepers at my work. ~*Lunar Mist: Forever Alone*~

Sounds like a plan. I don't got anything at the moment. We can brainstorm it and come up with something. :)

**CatGirlFireflare:** 0.0! Are you okay?!

**Luna Uchiha666: **Glad you liked it. I'm the same way. I like to be able to form my own conclusions in stories, whether they are right or wrong. It's more fun that way. ;D

**Bee4ever:** Very glad you like it. It was fun to write, and it's nice to know that my readers enjoyed it so much. :)

**Jazaline Coriana Lupus:** Just got really busy. Happens to the best of us and to the least. We simply deal as we must. For now, I have to make school and work my main priorities, which puts FF way down on my list. Last year, I was able to just cruise through high school, and you can't do that in college. So, I'm having to shift my lifestyle quite a bit to match.

**Vivian Hale:** Jazz is Jazz. He can do _anything_.

* * *

><p>Thanks for the support, guys! Review!<p> 


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